I would like to raise a number of objections to the future housing development currently under consideration in the village of Hingham, and specifically the eastern development area of GNLP0520.

My particular concern is how these proposals may impact detrimentally upon both the character and rural quality of this easternmost area of Hingham village as well upon the historically important dwelling, The Meeting House, 42 Seamere Road.

The house is located at the eastern end of Seamere Road. It is a Grade II Listed building and its relatively isolated location reflects its previous function as a Quaker Meeting House (active 1680 to 1926). The earlier attached building dates probably from the late 16th or early 17th century and was at one time the home of Samuel Lincoln - who after his journey to the New World was to be the forbear of Abraham Lincoln.

My specific concerns about potential house development within the proposed area of GNLP0520 are:

1. The development area is disproportionally out of scale with the rural quality and character of this eastern side of the village. Permission is being sort by the land agent for GNLP0520 to site 250-300 dwellings. The construction zone would extend hard against the northern boundary of The Meeting House, and if the adjacent development of GNLP0310 was also to proceed the property would be surrounded entirely on two sides of its boundaries.

2. Seamere Road provides very significant amenity value to dog walkers and hikers alike. The route extends along Seamere Road leading away from the village, then turns south on a footpath before heading back to Hingham.

The unimpeded view walkers currently enjoy looking north across farmland towards the church tower of St Andrew's church will be entirely lost if the development plans for GNLP0520 and GNLP0310 were to proceed. Such a loss to the value of this amenity would be significantly detrimental to the quality of life enjoyed by many in the village.

3. If both GNLP0520 and GNLP0310 were to proceed this would potentially introduce a combined total of 472 dwellings, which in addition to the 93 currently being built on land adjacent to these two new sites (HIN10) would produce a total of nearly 600 houses.

Such a vast estate grafted on to the east side of Hingham would unquestionably create an unsustainable level of development entirely inverting the current ecological equilibrium prevalent throughout the village between the highly significant historic centre and a gentler and more appropriate increment of new dwellings infilling available appropriately scaled sites around the perimeter.

While the need for new homes is a pressing issue, in this instance the potential harm likely to be caused to the current balanced rural ecology of Hingham were these over- sized plots to be developed would result in irreversible damage to those very qualities that both present and future residents of this important Norfolk village so rightly cherish.