The proposals, which include a 0.3-hectare extension of the town’s Whitwell Road cemetery, were discussed at a meeting of Broadland District Council’s planning committee on Wednesday 7 September, after last-minute postponements at the July and August meetings.
 
Also approved were separate but related planning applications for a new sports hall for Reepham High School & College (RHSC) and widening of the Broomhill Lane junction with Whitwell Road and the introduction of traffic calming measures and a shared cycleway and footpath.
 
A number of objections to the plans were raised by residents and other bodies, including the impact on the sewage system, traffic on adjacent roads, the loss of school playing field space and the level of affordable housing, although this has been increased to 28% of the total, with 39 of the new homes to be “affordable”.
 
The site was originally designated for 100–120 homes, the meeting was reminded.
 
Speaking in favour of the plans, RHSC head teacher Tim Gibbs said the school’s existing sports hall was “inadequate” and noted that both the high school and college are not at capacity. “More houses will mean more financial security for the school,” he stated.
 
Mr Gibbs added that the school was not short of playing fields and that the old sports hall could eventually be transformed into a performing arts centre that could also be used by the community.
 
However, questions remain over whether the sports hall will be built in the long term, despite a £1.5 million contribution from the developer Lovell Homes under a Section 106 agreement.
 
Broadland District Councillor for the Reepham Ward, Stuart Beadle, who sits on the planning committee and is also a governor of RHSC, abstained from participating in the meeting as a committee member and did not vote on the proposals.
 
But speaking as district councillor, Mr Beadle highlighted the many benefits of the plans, both to the community as well as the high school.
 
See our earlier stories:

• Major housing development decision postponed
• More delays to Broomhill Lane housing development