A doctors' surgery has spoken out against plans to build hundreds of new homes in a Norfolk town and warned they are already at full capacity.

Aylsham's Market Surgery has voiced its concerns over proposed housing schemes saying it would not be able to cope with the increase in population.

The surgery raised its concerns over more housing being built in the town as it responded to a planning bid to construct 242 homes. 

The homes are planned to be built on a 32 acre site - roughly the size of 16 football pitches - on land south of Burgh Road, and were lodged by Hopkins Homes last year.

In a letter to Broadland Council's planning department, the partners at the Market Surgery said: "Aylsham has seen a steady increase in its population over the last few years, resulting in a rise to our list size, from 7,700 in 2009 to 10,165 in 2024.

"This rise has already seen challenges and as a result we have constructed additional consulting rooms and employed additional clinicians.

"We understand that part of the proposed developments is a 90-unit extra care home / independent living scheme, these patients tend to be older persons with complex health needs, which brings further concerns to our workload.

"It would neither be practical or safe for us to care for the increased number of patients these developments would bring. We have reached our maximum capacity for space and clinicians."

READ MORE: 242 homes set to be built on Burgh Road in Aylsham

The practice already has 9,700 patients on its books in Aylsham and surrounding villages.

People in the town have also raised concerns about the bid to build 242 homes.

One said: "This appears to be another "hit and run" application, without thought to the current residents, infrastructure, amenities and facilities to support such a large percentage increase to the population."

Aylsham town centre (Newsquest)There are also concerns of overcrowding from residents who live in bungalows near the proposed development.

They worry that bigger houses will "overshadow" them, resulting in a lack of privacy.

One objector stated that the properties proposed to be built are "excessively close and there is considerable overlooking and a lack of privacy".

The population of Aylsham was 8,717 at the time of the last census in 2021.  

If all the properties have two people living in them the development would increase the population of Aylsham by 484 – a 5pc increase - to 9,201. 

The application is still pending consideration.

The surgery's concerns over a separate bid relate to a planning application for land At Norwich Road, Aylsham, that proposes to build 252 houses and a 90-unit extra care/independent living scheme.