Hethersett a norfolk village on the web

Below are comments received via e-mail regarding the development. We are happy to print views both for and against the development. Just e-mail them to us by clicking here.

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We have just been along to the Community Planning Weekend meeting and are horrified at what is being proposed for our village. Are we being cynical when we felt it was just a one sided attempt to sell us the idea ?

When we moved here from Chedgrave in 2007 we understood that no large scale developments were proposed and would like it to stay that way - Hethersett has already seen its fair share of new homes.

If Norwich and District requires so many new homes then we would suggest that creating a new town/village would be much more sensible than swamping ours and other local towns/villages. It would also mean that all the new infrastructure required would be put in at the same time as the housing.

Please let us know what we can do to deflect these proposals and thereby maintain the Hethersett we all love.

Chris & Janet Lane (via e-mail)

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What a shame that all the recent and future building in a once terrific village has totally spoilt the atmosphere of what was at one time a very friendly and trouble free community.

Sad Bob (via the noticeboard)

Traffic and buildings don't make a community the people do. If the current residents were more welcoming to the new people in the village then there would be less of a split.

Andre (via the noticeboard)

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I went to the village hall planning day. I found the speakers very pro development, the architect speaking didn't listen to the audience and they did not understand village life, not had they done any worthwhile research regarding the local walks or footpaths. I think the whole meeting was to bash down opposition to the development. Quite ironical, the speaker talking about green issues as he appeared to have arrived in a Bentley and we understand he comes from London. Let's start another memorial next to Kett's Oak for the lost village of Hethersett

Barry Durn via e-mail

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Having seen the proposed plans for Hethersett, I felt I should put my views in writing. I am appalled at the plans for Back Lane. To say that this would negative impact on my house, my life (and I'm sure my neighbours, too) and the village would be an understatement.

I bought this house specifically to appreciate the benefits of the safe environment of an 'estate' for children (I now have 2 - 4 & 6 years of age) and maintaining a country feel of a village, over-looking fields.

Any development on this site, I feel, must be opposed for a number of reasons: the village is already large in size and I feel any further growth would reduce the 'community feel' of it; secondly, I strongly believe that any development would devalue my own house, which has the selling point of being next to fields; I am also concerned about the safety and noise of a larger road beside my house. The tree line beyond my fence is on my property, I have been informed. Therefore I have maintained the hedgerow - if the road became a main road (or certainly a road that was used more frequently) there would undoubtedly be an impact on how much I could enjoy the peace that I now have in my garden. Having 2 young children, safety is also important and I specifically chose a house away from main roads, knowing that I would want to have a family here.

Money needs to be spent in the village to improve it for existing residents as it is; there's no cycle paths along school routes to allow those that would like to take a more environmentally friendly route to school safely. Parking and paths in general need improvement in the village. This doesn't necessarily mean creating new spaces and buildings, but being creative with what we have. Serious discussions need to be had about how we can make changes that won't turn our village into somewhere that lacks character, lacks a cohesive community and somewhere that is no longer a village, but a town.

These plans are excessive and unwelcome and I would certainly do everything in my power to prevent them from happening... even if I had to single-handedly canvass every resident in the village!

S Tilley-Jones by e-mail