Neighbour row explodes as two villages go to war over new 2,000-home mega-project

Two villages are caught in a rare head to head battle over a in Norfolk. Rather than fighting against the build, the broke out after both villages wanted to claim the 2,000-home mega project as their own.

A Swanton Morley parish councillor was accused of trying to "land grab" from neighbouring Hoe and Worthing in Norfolk, after they argued the right to claim the development at Robertson Barracks, a historic 400-acre military base. It is thought the development would generate significant tax revenue.

Much of the development is based in Swanton Morley, although the RAF airfield, where most of the new homes would be built, falls within the smaller and less populated Hoe and Worthing.

The fight came to a head after Roger Atterwill, chairman of Swanton Morley Parish Council, at a Breckland District Council meeting on May 15.

He argued: "Between the two villages, Swanton Morley would have all the traffic and all the construction vehicles and everything that goes with that but the houses would be in Hoe and Worthing."

The chairperson of Hoe and Worthing Parish Meeting, Celia Daniel, strongly opposed, saying: "This is deeply concerning. The proposal to enlarge Swanton Morley means reducing the Hoe and Worthing parish area. What they are asking for is morally wrong."

Michael Goff, who farms land by the airfield, called it a "land grab", adding: "This will reduce Hoe and Worthing to an utterly irrelevant, moon-shaped sliver of a parish. It might as well disappear at that point."

Atterwill also highlighted another difference between the two communities, noting Swanton Morley has a £98,000 shortfall compared to Hoe and Worthing's £1,800.

The former also has around seven times the number of residents, with a population of 2,300, compared to Hoe and Worthing's 300.

Atterwill criticised their resources, stating: "Hoe and Worthing is not a parish council. They're a parish meeting. They are only meeting once or twice a year."

He added that Swanton Morley boasts a medical practice, village school and other facilities, while Hoe and Worthing "doesn't really have assets. It's got a couple of dog bins and notice boards".

Robertson Barracks currently houses 400 personnel of 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards. Its closure is scheduled for 2031, and its troops will relocate to Wales.

It has been earmarked for development as part of Breckland District Council's plans to build 16,500 homes over the next 20 years.

District councillors described Swanton Morley's proposal as "premature", with Conservative member Mark Kiddle-Morris commenting: "Once there is a planning application, then it would be appropriate to consider this."