A two-storey residential development comprising five flats in a north Norfolk town has been refused because it would have been an “over-development of the site”.

Plans for the two-bedroom apartments at a former car park, at the junction of Old Market Road and Upper Staithe in Stalham, were turned down by North Norfolk District Council (NNDC). The site is close to Tesco’s.

In its decision notice, the council said: “In the opinion of the local planning authority, the proposed development, by virtue of the design, position, scale and mass together with the restricted dimensions of the plot is considered to constitute over-development of the site and would result in a cramped form of development which would be out of keeping with the character and appearance of the area.”

In consultation, Stalham Town Council objected to the proposal and said: “There is insufficient parking and the density is too great”.