Historic England concerned over Norwich Anglia Square plan

The new plans, drawn up in 2021, include pedestrian and cycle routes - and between 600 and 1,000 homes

Fresh concerns have been raised over redevelopment plans for a shopping centre after it emerged 1,000 homes could be built on the site.

The 1960s-built Anglia Square in Norwich is due to make way for new housing, shops and green space.

Historic England said the developer had given a figure of 800 homes, but now said it would be between 600 and 1,000, which could have a greater impact.

Weston Homes said the range gave flexibility in later stages.

The developer's plans, drawn up last year, came after the then-secretary of state Robert Jenrick rejected Weston Homes previous proposal.

He said a tower block and 1,250 homes at Anglia Square "did not protect and enhance the heritage assets of the city".

The latest concerns from Historic England, the publicly-funded conservation body, were raised during a series of hearings being held by government planning inspectors to assess the Greater Norwich Local Plan, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Currently, 50,000 new homes are expected to be built in the Norwich area between now and 2038, with Anglia Square representing one of the biggest sites near the medieval city centre.

'Expect some precision'

Debbie Mack, from Historic England, also questioned the lack of a heritage impact assessment for the area - an examination of the effect the Weston Homes project would have on local historic assets.

"Giving a range of 400 dwellings does not give clarity about the nature and scale of development," she said.

Historic England has said any redevelopment of the current site would need to repair and enhance Norwich's "exceptional historic character"

Michael Jordan, from the Norwich Society, raised similar fears over the range in the number of proposed homes.

He argued that more civic groups would have objected to plans for Anglia Square if they had been aware that 1,000 homes could be developed.

"Anglia Square is an important site, but it is not the largest in Norwich and it's been studied by all the parties for many years now," he added.

"By this stage, we would expect to see some precision in the allocation [of the number of homes]. In this instance, the partnership is proposing figures that decrease that precision and gives us a range of 400 homes."

Peter Luder, speaking on behalf of Weston Homes, said the company originally planned for 800 homes, with more to be built if it were demonstrated to be acceptable.

He argued that if the project was further delayed, the city council and Weston Homes would miss out on £15m from central government, which was investing in the scheme.