People living in a Norfolk district will have a say in its development over the next few decades, with thousands of homes planned to be built. 

Breckland Council is set to launch a public consultation on its updated local plan, which will be used to inform key planning decisions. 

It sets out target areas for large developments, including Dereham, Swanton Morley and Larling, and hopes to see more than 16,000 new homes built by 2046. 

Paul Hewett, councillor for Shipdham with Scarning, said the consultation was only the "starting gate" for the local plan. 

Eastern Daily Press: New homes could be built in Swanton MorleyNew homes could be built in Swanton Morley (Image: Sonya Duncan)

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He added: "We are at the start of a marathon, not a sprint. We need to bring our communities with us as this is just as much their journey as it is ours. 

"There will be many challenges in the race ahead. This plan needs to allow the communities who want to grow to do so, without imposing growth on those who do not.

"It has taken hard graft to get to this point but now the real work will start."

Previously, the public have expressed a wish to see development concentrated in market towns and strategic sites on previously developed land, such as Swanton Morley Barracks. Local people also highlighted the need for a focus on transport and health infrastructure. 

The new public consultation will run for at least six weeks through June and July, and will be undertaken through information displays at libraries, online surveys and events in Attleborough and Dereham. 

The final draft of the plan will be published early next year, and will be informed by responses received in the coming weeks - these will help to mould the specific proposals identified in the plan and the scope and nature of the proposed policies.