LAND SOUTH OF BICKLEY CLOSE, BESTHORPE
Welcome
Welcome to the consultation website for the proposed residential development on land south of Bickley Close, Besthorpe.
Ashberry Strategic Land is preparing an outline planning application for up to 110 new homes, including 25% affordable housing, alongside extensive areas of green space, landscaping and biodiversity enhancements.
The proposals have evolved through early technical work and initial engagement with planning officers. They are landscape-led in approach, with careful attention given to local character, flood risk, neighbouring amenity and connectivity. Our aim is to create a well-designed and sustainable extension to Besthorpe that responds positively to its setting.
This website provides further detail about the site, the emerging proposals and how you can share your views before an application is submitted to Breckland District Council.
You can find out more on the proposals page and submit your feedback on the have your say page.
Consultation Update
The consultation period has now closed, and we are grateful for the valuable feedback received from the local community and stakeholders.
The project team is currently reviewing all comments and submissions in detail. This feedback will play an important role in shaping the proposals as they continue to develop.
A summary of the consultation process and the feedback received will be set out in a Statement of Community Engagement (SCE), which will accompany the forthcoming planning application.
We appreciate your continued interest in the project and will provide further updates in due course.
Site location plan (click to enlarge)
The Site and Surrounding Area
The site lies to the east of Besthorpe, immediately south of Bickley Close and north of Silver Street.
The site, together with the village of Besthorpe, is well located in relation to the wider facilities of Attleborough. Attleborough town centre is located approximately 1.5 kilometres to the west and provides a wide range of facilities including supermarkets, independent shops, healthcare services, primary and secondary schools, leisure facilities and community spaces.
Attleborough railway station offers direct services to Norwich, Cambridge, Ely and Peterborough, with onward connections to London. The station can be reached on foot in around 25 minutes or by bicycle in approximately 7 minutes.
Illustrative housing type
Why New Homes Are Needed
There is an urgent need for housing in Breckland. The Council’s most recent housing land supply assessment (December 2025) shows that the district has less than a five‑year supply of deliverable housing land against the requirements of the National Planning Policy Framework. Local planning authorities are required to identify and demonstrate a rolling five-year supply of deliverable housing land to meet their housing requirement.
Breckland’s five‑year housing land supply is currently estimated at approximately 2.82 years, based on a requirement of 920 homes per year and a total supply of around 2,720 homes over the next five years. The shortfall reflects increased national housing targets, which have raised the number of homes needed in the district. In circumstances where this cannot be demonstrated, sustainable and deliverable sites play an important role in helping to meet identified housing needs.
The proposals at land south of Bickley Close would contribute towards addressing this shortfall by delivering new homes, including affordable homes, in a location that is accessible, closely related to existing development and capable of coming forward in the short to medium term.
About Ashberry Strategic Land
Ashberry Strategic Land is a land promoter and is owned by the experienced national house builder Bellway Homes Ltd. Both organisations have a history of delivering high quality residential developments across the UK.
You can find out more about us by clicking the link below
