A town council has refused to back plans to build three new homes - unless a nearby junction described as a ‘bottleneck’ is widened.
Fakenham Town Council (FTC) initially believed the developer at 6-10 Norwich Road was reluctant to widen the adjacent road and pavement.
However, the developer appeared at the council's development and market committee meeting on Monday, November 7, to say he had offered to accommodate the changes - but had not had a reply from the authorities at the time of the evening meeting.
The developer has since had a meeting with Highways at the site.
Norwich Road, at the edge of the town centre, leads onto a five-way roundabout.
A spokesman for NNDC said: “The council has received comments from Norfolk County Council (NCC) Highways, which support proposals to provide a wider footpath, and will await comments from Fakenham Town Council on the matter.
"As a live case with outstanding consultation responses, the council will reserve judgement and any further comment at this stage.”
Darren Mortimer, highways development management officer at NCC, said: "The demolition of the frontage buildings allows the provision of a widened pedestrian provision passed the site, which would be seen as beneficial and would be welcomed."
George Acheson, a Fakenham Town councillor, said the council has proposed a roadway design solution that they believe would solve this problem without either significantly diminishing the size of the site, nor involves moving either of the Highway posts on the roundabout side.
The councillor said that it would also diminish the risk of car wheel scuffing on the kerb and the frequent mounting of the pavement by cars entering Norwich Road.
"With the present plan, scuffing will be increased by a new kerb for vehicles leaving Norwich Road, currently they can and do mount the dangerous narrow brick weave path that has no kerb," Mr Acheson said.
“Developments should, where possible, benefit the community - this site could greatly benefit the community by allowing not only more pavement but also a slight widening of the road.
“It is unacceptable that this bottleneck problem is not addressed by the minimal cost of widening the road to the extent of the existing brick weave which is already driven on by buses and HGVs.
“FTC would never support the development of this site without a small widening of the bottleneck.”
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