UP to 50 sites within the Great Yarmouth borough have been earmarked to accommodate potentially 8,159 new homes.Land in Yarmouth, Gorleston, Bradwell, Hopton and Belton is being flagged up for development opportunities over the next 15 years, while the former Pontins holiday camp site in Hemsby and Nova Scotia farm at Caister are also being targeted.

UP to 50 sites within the Great Yarmouth borough have been earmarked to accommodate potentially 8,159 new homes.

Land in Yarmouth, Gorleston, Bradwell, Hopton and Belton is being flagged up for development opportunities over the next 15 years, while the former Pontins holiday camp site in Hemsby and Nova Scotia farm at Caister are also being targeted.

The list includes:

Great Yarmouth - waterfront redevelopment sites have already been highlighted, including Ice House Quay, Bure Harbour and North Quay. Up to 100 homes could be built on the Southtown Road side of the River Yare, while a mix of commercial, retail and residential development has been targeted creating a “caf�” culture on the North Quay side of the river from Havenbridge House to Fullers Hill roundabout.

Gorleston - By Southtown Common; adjacent to White Horse pub, off Burnt Lane; between Hopton and Gorleston - below Gorleston adjacent to A12; two sites on Claydon School; off Church Lane in East Anglian Way; behind James Paget University Hospital.

Bradwell - Beacon Park, housing alongside employment park.

Hopton- A site between A12 and Lowestoft Road behind the post office to the south of settlement, adjacent to A12.

Belton - access off Sandy Lane

Caister - Nova Scotia Farm, beside A149, a greenfield site submitted by the landowner. Has been previously considered for development; John Grant School playing field.

Hemsby - Former Pontins site.

A number of sites have also been rejected, including part of the recreation ground on Barnard Bridge in Yarmouth, the Co-op on Lawn Avenue in Yarmouth and Gorleston recreation ground.

At a local development framework working party meeting last week, the council's senior planner Sarah Slade said the reality for the borough would be closer to 2,000 homes.

Some areas, such as one between Belton and Bradwell, drew concern from councillors present, who were worried about the threat of creeping development.

However, Peter Hardy, executive director for the environment and economy, said the survey was not allocating land for houses but was judging each site on its possible suitability for future use.

Following the meeting, Mrs Slade added: “What we're doing here is appraising sites in sustainability terms, such as access, transport and proximity to schools.

“This will be reviewed annually and may even be reviewed before that, so some sites could change- it's a live document.”

The sites, which have been put forward by landowners, are a mixture of brownbelt and greenbelt and must each allow space for ten or more dwellings and not link communities.

While some are being freshly considered, others are the subject of ongoing housing applications.

Others, like the riverside development in Yarmouth being undertaken by the urban regeneration company 1st East, have long been part of the borough council's future plans.

Once plans have been drawn up for this riverside site, a public consultation will be held- possibly in two months time.