A plot of land with permission for nine new homes in one of the county's most desirable villages is to be sold by West Norfolk Borough Council.

The authority received permission in principle from its own planning department in October last year for nine homes to be built on the patch of land it owns just off the Sutton Estate in Burnham Market.

The council also owns an existing property on the site, which it plans to sell.

The village, located between Well-next-the-Sea, Hunstanton and Fakenham, was last week named by Savills as one of Britain's desirable locations to live in and has been dubbed 'Chelsea-on-Sea, because of its social scene and exclusive properties.

The decision to sell the house and its neighbouring land was made at a Tuesday cabinet meeting, at which it was agreed that the sale would contribute “significantly” to the council’s funds, and would provide “an opportunity for the private sector to invest in the local economy”.

Local Conservative councillor Samantha Sandell asked for an assurance that the homes would be built as outlined in the initial permission, and whether the existing property would be reserved for local people only.

A council officer responded to the first question by saying the council would be “trying to make that clear” with any purchaser of the land.

On her second point, he said no such reservation was in place, and he didn’t know why that was.