Norfolk dinosaur park given permission to expand

The popular children's park has been given permission to expand so as to bring in more visitors

Expansion plans at a popular tourist attraction have been given the go-ahead despite neighbours' concerns.

Dinosaur-themed adventure park Roarr! at Lenwade, Norfolk, is permitted to increase in size by 25% to attract an extra 200,000 visitors annually.

While supporters argued the plans would be a benefit to the area, objectors were worried about noise from rides, music and screaming children.

Broadland District Council visited the attraction before making its decision.

At a planning meeting on Wednesday, all councillors bar one approved the scheme, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The council's planning officer told the committee he considered the development to be acceptable, arguing there were "significant economic benefits", including job creation.

But Ruth Goodall, Weston Longville parish councillor, said Roarr! had come a long way from "embedding dinosaurs in the natural environment".

She accused the park's bosses of shifting towards a "Pleasurewood Hills style theme park" which, she said, would be a noisy neighbour.

The park was established by Norfolk explorer Cornelius Weston-Smythe in the 1800s after discovering dinosaurs had thrived in local woodlands

Other objectors called for the application to be withdrawn until adequate sound protection measures could be put in place.

Experts speaking on behalf of the project said the scheme had been designed to minimise disruption on neighbours and noise was expected to be below levels of concern.

Peter Bulman, Broadland councillor for Weston Longville, said no one was against the plans "in principle" but people were against the way it was being implemented, describing it as "intrusive".

Conservative committee member John Fisher threw his support behind the plans.

He said: "It is an important employer. I know people that visit on a regular basis and I think when you look at an attraction like this there is a need to improve and change rides, make them more attractive so you have people visiting on a regular basis."

Mr Fisher also welcomed plans to improve ecology in the area with a moth meadow and extra planting for the site.

Adam Goymour, park director at Roarr! said: "This is a momentous time in Roarr!'s history and we are incredibly excited to begin the next stage of this significant project - one which has been nearly four years in the planning."