A bid for dozens of homes on a former pick your own fruit field looks set for refusal when it comes before planners this week.

Great Yarmouth Mercury: Families enjoy the sands at Scratby during lockdown. The popular village has seen a bid for 67 homes by Badger Building which looks set to be rejected Picture: Liz CoatesFamilies enjoy the sands at Scratby during lockdown. The popular village has seen a bid for 67 homes by Badger Building which looks set to be rejected Picture: Liz Coates (Image: Archant)

“Substantial numbers” of opponents have raised concerns about the proposal for 67 homes in Scratby on the A149.

And officers at Great Yarmouth Borough Council say the benefits of adding to the housing supply and creating some affordable homes do not outweigh the downsides of the application.

In papers being presented to the development control committee which meets virtually on Wednesday, members are being advised to refuse the scheme from Lowestoft-based Badger Building.

They say the develpment is out of scale with the rest of the village which, if built, would represent “a rather obvious standalone housing estate.”

The homes would have no distinctiveness either, being selected from the company’s stock of templates used elsewhere, the papers add.

And in creating an opening to the estate from the main road it would reduce gaps between settlements and do away with the “bypass” aspect of the road which takes traffic away from settlements.

The developer says its proposal for bungalows and houses would be an opportunity to create a “character” gateway to Scratby.

The new estate would comprise 28 bungalows and 39 houses with an increased offer of making 25pc affordable.

Drawings show homes overlooking a central green and a “character village green”.

Officers say the scheme is contrary to numerous policies and too “remote”, as well as failing to create “distinctiveness” with basic house-types used elsewhere in Norfolk and Suffolk.

And while they welcome the offer of equipped play space they say, it will be of little value to the rest of the village because of where it is.

The papers conclude: “The site is not considered to be in a sufficiently sustainable location to accommodate the scale of development proposed.

“The development will also result in loss of best and most versatile agricultural land, harm to the landscape and poor design quality, contrary to local and national planning policies.”

Outline permission has previously been granted for 19 homes on northern part of the site owned by Page’s Farm.

The committee meets remotely at 4pm on Wednesday (October 14).

To view the papers click the link here.