Swanton Morley base could become 2,000-home neighbourhood

Robertson Barracks has been home to 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards - also known as the Welsh Cavalry - since 2015

An army base in Norfolk could be transformed into a new community with as many as 2,000 homes.

Robertson Barracks in Swanton Morley, near Dereham, is home to the 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards and is to cease operating as a military base by 2029.

The 165-hectare site has been earmarked as part of Breckland Council's local plan for the next 20 years.

If plans progress, the barracks would form a key part of efforts to build 16,500 homes in the district.

Uncertainty remains over whether Swanton Morley - which had a population of 2,100 at the 2011 census - could sustain such rapid growth, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Roger Atterwill, the Swanton Morley Parish Council chairman and leader of the Independent and Green group at Breckland Council, said the plan needed further discussion.

"It could create much-needed housing and also bring employment to the area," he added.

"The biggest issue is the lack of adequate roads to the village, which would need to be addressed.

"We will continue to work with partners to maximise the potential of the site but will have to ensure any development is not to the detriment of the community."

There are about 400 personnel based at the barracks, as well as family accommodation and a pre-school.

Troops will relocate to Wales from 2028 and the Ministry of Defence plans to dispose of the site by 2029.