A community is once again rising up against plans for hundreds of homes to be built on a derelict site near Norwich, fearing it will bring "all the pain and none of the gain".
Development firm Ocubis wants to build 555 homes on four sites in Thorpe St Andrew - at Pinebanks, Langley North, Langely South and Griffin Lane.
Following public opposition, the plans have been revised several times over the years, with a previous scheme including 725 houses.
But locals and councillors are worried they are now losing out on a new sports hall that was previously promised.
Redevelopment of the land has been mooted for over a decade and in 2013 a scheme was given the go-ahead by Broadland District Council. So far, not a single brick has been laid.
Included in the previous scheme was money set aside in a legally binding agreement - called a section 106 agreement - for almost £1m to be put towards a new sports hall at the local school.
Speaking at a Thorpe St Andrew Town Council meeting on Monday, councillor John Fisher, said: “The 2013 application, with the £1m sweetener for the sports hall, the town council supported that for the benefits that came with it.
“What we have lost in the between times is that section 106, that million pounds that persuaded a lot of people that they could put up with the new houses.”
Mike Riches, who lives near the site, think sthe plans would “permanently scar the skyline” and are “completely out of keeping with the surrounding area”.
He said: “In 2013, we were promised buildings in keeping with the area, now they want to throw up blocks of flats.
“The amount of extra traffic will seriously impact the area and will have a negative environmental impact.”
A Mr Clay added: “Will Thorpe High School get the hall they were promised?
"We are sensible people and we understand the development needs to go ahead but it needs to fit in."
Ian Mackie, Conservative county and district councillor, who is also part of the Friends of Thorpe St Andrew group, said it would bring "all of the pain and none of the gain".
A spokesman for developer Ocubis said they would address the concerns raised by the community and update them on the latest plans in the coming weeks.
A history of Pinebanks
For more than a decade the redevelopment of Pinebanks has hung over the head of residents of Thorpe St Andrew.
It was the site of the former Norwich Union Sports and Social Club, before being sold by Aviva in 2009 after the club's closure a year earlier.
Plans to redevelop the disused site were then put forward in 2013.
In 2014, the Pinebanks site caught fire, gutting the site.
Neighbouring Langley North and South were once home to Langley Prep School and include part of what was Pinebanks and includes the Grade II-listed Taylor’s Tower.
Griffin Lane is located off the A47 and has a series of Second World War tank traps which are located diagonally through the site. Plans are to retain them as far as possible.
Following plans for 725 homes being revealed, in January 2022, hundreds of protestors clad with placards marched from Broadland District Council's offices in Thorpe St Andrew to Henby Way - which backs onto the Pinebanks site - against the development.
In December, the developer said it was cutting the number of homes.
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