New homes approved despite healthcare strain concerns

The development off Norwich Road would have more than 200 homes, a 90-room care home, a transport hub and an area of open space

Plans for 250 new homes in a town have been given the green light despite pleas from GPs over strains on healthcare services.

In a planning committee meeting on Wednesday, Broadland Council approved the proposals which will see a major development off Norwich Road in Aylsham, Norfolk.

However, Dr Nazia Ahmed, a GP in the town, has warned existing patients would "suffer" as the surgery would not be able to withstand the pressure of a new development.

However, developers Norfolk Homes and Saffron Homes said it was "up to the NHS" to meet the town's demand as it rises.

The development would see more than 200 homes, a 90-room care home, a transport hub and an area of open space.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service said significant concerns had been raised about how it could impact on health services in the area.

In response to these concerns, developers have offered £275,000 to support improvements to local healthcare.

'Hundreds of new patients'

However, GPs at Market Surgery said this would not remedy the situation.

Dr Ahmed said: "While I fully accept that people have got to live somewhere, the town has grown over the years and the medical facilities can't cope.

"The surgery can't physically get any bigger and we have nowhere at all to put hundreds of new patients."

Despite this, Broadland Council approved the proposals in a planning committee.

A spokesman for the developers, said: "While we acknowledge concerns about healthcare, these are common worries about all such developments in every location."

This is not the only new development proposed, as Hopkins Homes is also hoping to build 242 properties in the town on land off Burgh Road.