Two small villages are locked in an extraordinary dispute over who should host a massive 2,000-home development, with both communities fighting to have it built in their area.
The unusual row has erupted between Swanton Morley and neighbouring Hoe and Worthing in Norfolk over the future of Robertson Barracks, a historic 400-acre military base that straddles their boundaries.
Both villages are keen to claim the development due to the significant council tax revenue it would generate.
Much of the barracks, including the main military buildings, is located in Swanton Morley, which has a population of 2,300.
The row has broken out over the development at Robertson Barracks at Swanton Morley, Norfolk
PA
However, the former RAF airfield area, where most of the new homes would be built, falls within Hoe and Worthing, which has just 300 residents.
The site has significant historical importance. During World War II, Winston Churchill and General Dwight D Eisenhower watched the first combined US and UK bombing raid depart from what was then RAF Swanton Morley.
The dispute came to a head at a recent Breckland District Council meeting, where Roger Atterwill, chairman of Swanton Morley Parish Council, proposed changing boundary lines so his community would administer the entire development.
"Between the two villages, Swanton Morley would have all the traffic and all the construction vehicles and everything that goes with that but the houses would be in Hoe and Worthing," Atterwill argued.
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The Princess of Wales during her first visit to 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards at Robertson Barracks, Dereham in Norfolk in 2023
PA
Atterwill insisted this was not a "land grab" but a practical solution.
Celia Daniel, chairman of Hoe and Worthing Parish Meeting, strongly opposed the proposal, saying: "This is deeply concerning. The proposal to enlarge Swanton Morley means reducing the Hoe and Worthing parish area. What they are asking for is morally wrong."
Michael Goff, who farms land by the airfield, was equally critical, stating: "Fundamentally, this is a land grab.
"This will reduce Hoe and Worthing to an utterly irrelevant, moon-shaped sliver of a parish. It might as well disappear at that point."
Atterwill pointed to the disparity in resources between the two communities, noting Swanton Morley has a £98,000 precept compared to Hoe and Worthing's £1,800.
"Hoe and Worthing is not a parish council. They're a parish meeting. They are only meeting once or twice a year," he said.
Robertson Barracks at Swanton Morley, Norfolk
PA
Swanton Morley boasts a medical practice, village school and other facilities, while Hoe and Worthing "doesn't really have assets. It's got a couple of dog bins and notice boards".
Robertson Barracks is currently home to 400 personnel of 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards but is scheduled to close in 2031, with troops relocating to Wales.
The site has been earmarked for development as part of Breckland District Council's plans to build 16,500 homes over the next 20 years.
At the May 15 meeting, district councillors described Swanton Morley's proposal as "premature", with Conservative member Mark Kiddle-Morris commenting: "Once there is a planning application, then it would be appropriate to consider this."
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