Major West Winch homes scheme leaves landowners feeling like “lambs to the slaughter” farmer claims

One of the biggest housing developments in the county remains shrouded in uncertainty, with farmers reluctant to sell and others frustrated at their treatment.

The first phase of the 4,000-home West Winch growth project has been marred by months of delays with work yet to start despite councillors approving it last August.

Hopkins Homes has had to ask for repeated deadline extensions to resolve issues related to Section 106 agreements – the amount of cash it will provide for infrastructure to support the new homes.

It has until next Friday to resolve these issues, but it has yet to finalise legal agreements with all of the landowners for the first 1,100 properties to be built.

But minutes from a council meeting held in private earlier this month revealed one individual remains reluctant to sell.

The turmoil has led some farmers involved in the collaboration agreement – a collection of landowners selling land for the project to go ahead – to complain about the process.

Fears are also growing that the entire project could become unviable due to rising costs of a £109m road linking the A10 and A47 – vital to address traffic woes in the area.

The road is already close to capacity and drivers face long delays most days during rush hour periods on the A10 and around Hardwick Roundabout.

The government is yet to say how much money it will commit, prompting concerns much of the Section 106 cash could be absorbed by it, leaving little left for a new school and health services.

FARMER FEARS

Farmers involved in the land sale have complained of not receiving contracts in a timely manner from Hopkins Homes.

Adrain Nichols, 60, whose family has farmed in the West Winch area for a century, has been left frustrated at how he has been treated.

He said he had no choice but to sell his land – if he didn’t, the council would seek to use compulsory purchase powers anyway.

However, he was told it could be 40 years before they receive the full amount of money from the sale due to the lengthy process involved.

“I’m not sure if they have sort codes in heaven,” he said.

He described the situation as “a load of bull” and added: “The only option was to join the scheme, but the landowners have not had much chance to influence any decision as West Norfolk Council (WNC) and Norfolk County Council had 50 percent of the control. We feel like lambs to the slaughter.”

Mr Nichols, an arable and livestock farmer, added he worries about the chaos building the new road and new houses will cause, with traffic issues in the area already at a tipping point.

“I’ve worried about the viability of the project from day one, and with the cost of the new road more than doubling, I worry it will become unviable and won’t be completed entirely.

“I just don’t want to see our villagers, the residents of King’s Lynn and the users of the A10 sold down the river and let down.”

Local councillors and villagers raised similar concerns before it was approved, with protestors demanding the new road be built before the homes were approved.

Government funding will only be secured through the new houses being approved.

But Lilian Greenwood, the roads minister, has raised major concerns about whether the West Winch Access Road project will go ahead, warning “hard choices” could mean some transport schemes will not get government money.

Hopkins Homes has until Friday, April 4 to finalise its legal agreements but if this is not done, the developer will face WNC’s planning committee once again to determine the next steps.

The West Winch scheme is key for the borough council’s ambitions to deliver 10,500 homes over the next 25 years.

A spokesperson for the firm said: “We remain fully committed to working with all parties to finalise the necessary agreements and ensure the project progresses.”