Plans opposed by Jake Humphrey and Darren Huckerby backed
- Published
Darren Huckerby (left) and Jake Humphrey have opposed the application
Plans for an "eyesore" industrial estate opposed by villagers, including a TV presenter and ex-footballer, have been given the go-ahead by a council.
The revised proposal for the site in Keswick, near Norwich, went before South Norfolk Council on Wednesday after a bid was refused last June.
TV presenter Jake Humphrey and ex-footballer Darren Huckerby, who both live nearby, opposed the application, external.
Developers said the estate could create more than 1,000 jobs.
Councillors voted six to five in favour of a recommendation to grant planning permission for the Keswick site
Offices, industrial units and warehouses could be built on a triangle of land between the A140 near Harford Bridge and the B1113.
Changes to the plans, made by applicant MAHB, narrowly persuaded planning committee members to give the go-ahead, meaning a full planning application can now be submitted.
The plan faced 28 letters of objection and opposition from Stop the Blot, a campaign against the project that has received the backing of Mr Humphrey and Mr Huckerby - with the latter attending the meeting.
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Residents objected on grounds that the site will be a "blot on the landscape" and "destroy" the rural village's tranquillity, while nearby industrial units lie empty.
Mr Humphrey wrote: "I wish to express, in the strongest possible terms, my family's opposition to the proposed industrial estate that will be an eyesore on a key gateway into our Fine City."
Councillors raised concerns over the impact it would have on the openness of the Norwich Southern Bypass Landscape Protection Zone.
Fears were also voiced over additional traffic it would create and that "rat-running" could occur down the Low Road in Keswick.
The planning committee voted six to five in favour of its officer's recommendation to grant planning permission.