The Parish Council is unanimously opposed to the proposed new development. At a well-attended public meeting, called by the Council on February 19th 2018 in Colton Village Hall, there was no support for the proposed development. The residents of Marlingford and Colton Parish value their environment as it is. This was clearly established in the Parish Plan for Marlingford and Colton in 2006 (available at marlingfordandcoltonpc@norfolkparishes.gov.uk). As indicated in the Parish Plan, they value the quiet, friendly and rural nature of where they live, with a very strong appreciation of the local landscape and wildlife. Nothing has happened since then, including various public and parish council meetings, to suggest that those views have changed.

The Council's objections are:

Colton is classified as an Other Village with a defined development boundary: the proposed site is outside that boundary. The proposal is for residential development of approx. 16 dwellings, and open space, with an area of 0.41 hectares.

The site wraps around the existing four dwellings, which are affordable (social rented) housing that was developed by the Saffron Housing Trust; the dwellings are located on a rural exception site, area 0.15 hectares, that was made available thanks to the cooperation of a local landowner. The decision to proceed with the development was taken following a comprehensive housing needs survey, in part sponsored by the Parish Council, and in part by the Housing Trust. The survey involved the Trust sending a questionnaire to all households in the parish; there was also an exhibition for residents of the parish in Colton Village Hall. Given that the existing housing is on an exception site, there is no reason to believe that any further development such as that proposed would be permitted unless it were to be for affordable housing. There may be a need for a small additional amount of affordable housing, but that would only be established after another comprehensive survey; in recent years, no approaches have been made to the Council in relation to this possibility.

The proposed housing density, about 40 per hectare, is significantly in excess of that for the existing four dwellings, where the density is about 27 per hectare. A density of about 40 per hectare seems inappropriate for a rural setting.

The Housing and Economic Land Availability Assessment indicates that initial highway evidence has highlighted concerns that the possibility of creating suitable access to the site is severely constrained and that the local road network is unsuitable. Marlingford Road, on the northern side of the site, is single-track with a limited number of passing places, as is the Barford Road on the western side of the site. There is poor access to services and it is likely that the sewerage network, water supply, and possibly the electricity supply would need to be upgraded. A small part of the site is in the designated river valley, the Yare Rural River Valley. The river valley is protected from development under the South Norfolk Local Plan; such protection is reiterated in the Consultation documents.