Keep Blakeney special
The North Norfolk coast is one of England's most treasured landscapes.
People come here for the wide skies, the unspoilt marshes, the wildlife, and the rare gift of true darkness at night. It's why this stretch of coastline is designated an Area of Outstanding National Beauty, a status that's supposed to mean something.
But these treasures are under constant threat from overdevelopment, including a new proposal for 30 houses on open farmland at the edge of Blakeney, on ground that rises into view from the surrounding footpaths.
Once it's gone, it's gone.
Here's what's at stake:
- Loss of open countryside and coastal views — Walkers on the public right of way will see housing where there is currently unbroken farmland and views to the sea.
- Harm to wildlife and dark skies — The site supports nesting birds, bats and other species, and sits close to one of England's few Dark Sky Discovery Sites.
- Houses designed for holiday lets, not locals — Too many two-beds, no family homes, and no restrictions to prevent second home ownership.
- Car dependency by design — With an access road of over 300 metres, all inhabitants would have to walk or drive nearly a mile to reach the heart of the village.
- Dangerous road access — Vehicles will enter a 60mph road with limited visibility, in a location the Parish Council has flagged as a safety concern.
Even the developer's own assessment admits the development will cause "substantial adverse" harm to the site and "moderate adverse" harm to the wider landscape.
We need your help to stop this kind of damaging development.
We need your help to keep the whole of the North Norfolk coast special.
How can I help?
There are three things that you can do:
- Send an email objecting to the planning application.
- Send an email to Pigeon, the commercial developers.
- Share this page on social media to inform others.
1. Send an email objecting to the planning application
If you only do one thing, please do this and do it before February 10, 2026.
The planning team at North Norfolk District Council (NNDC) do listen to feedback from the public. Your opinion will make a difference but it needs to be structured, objective, and factual.
We've prepared a template email (see below) that you can use to share your objections about the planning application.
This is not a petition. You will need to send the email directly to the NNDC, and you will need to include your name and address.
This email is only a template. For best results, personalise it to reflect your own views and experiences on each of the issues.
👉 Click here for the template 👈
Additional information:
- You can see the full planning application here.
- You don't need to live in Blakeney to submit an objection.
- You're not limited to one objection per household, so anyone who lives at your address can send their own objection.
- The email template is based on objections and concerns raised by Natural England, Norfolk Coast Partnership, Blakeney Parish Council, Norfolk County Council, and North Norfolk District Council.
2. Send an email to Pigeon, the commercial developers
In addition to sending an email to the planning office (see #1 above), you can also express your views directly to Richard Stanton, Managing Director at Pigeon.
3. Share this page on social media to inform others
If you feel strongly about this development issue and the need to protect coastal landscapes, please share this page on social media to inform others.