Plans for 35 homes off the A38 approved

Norton residents raised concerns regarding the abilities of the village's facilities to support more residents

Plans to build 35 homes in a village north of Gloucester have been approved despite concerns over road safety.

Powells Rural Property Professionals Ltd has been granted permission from Tewkesbury Borough Council to develop just under four acres of land off Tewkesbury Road in Norton.

More than 30 villagers opposed the new homes, which they say will put pressure on the existing A38 junction.

But council officers recommended approving the scheme as they said the authority cannot currently demonstrate a five-year housing land supply.

The estate would comprise of four acres of land

Villagers also said the proposals are "just a case of a developer taking advantage of the borough's lack of a five-year housing land supply", the Local Democracy Reporting Service reports.

They claimed Norton, which has a pub, school, village hall and bus stop, is not equipped to cope with another 70 to 100 residents.

But, in a report presented to the planning committee on 20 August, council officers said: “The proposal is located adjacent to an existing settlement that is identified as a service village in the development plan and would have access to a range of services and sustainable transport options."

They concluded the benefits of the scheme “clearly outweigh the limited harms”, with the planning committee approving the plans.