Breckland’s planning committee has labelled the Scandinavian-style homes in Great Ellingham as “horrendous” and “hideous” - and questioned how they were ever allowed to be built in the first place.

The row over the modern properties - which make up a large proportion of a 154-home development still in construction - came to a head on Tuesday as councillors decided whether to approve sweeping changes to the estate after some of the properties failed to sell.

The developer of the scheme admitted in planning documents that the modern designs had been divisive, with the firm likening the bold architecture to Marmite, in that it provoked polarising opinions.

The lack of sales success has led to the developer to pivot its plans (Image: Google)

Large parts of the development are already finished (Image: Google)

And it appears Breckland councillors are firmly in the "hate" camp.

Conservative councillor Gordon Bambridge said he “could not believe” the modern designs were acceptable under the council's planning guide and described the homes as “horrendous”.

Roger Atterwill, the leader of the Independent group at Breckland, called the homes “fairly hideous” and asked if the plans had been approved by a committee or delegated to officers.

Nigel Wilkin, the chair of the committee, also referred to them as “hideous” and said he hoped members “don’t jump off a cliff on the way home”.

“It's a good job we live in Norfolk and it's fairly flat,” he added.  

As a result of the lack of interest in the “marmite mansions” - which have fetched as much as £895,000 on the market - the developer has been forced to pivot its plans. 

The new homes bring a more toned down design (Image: Breckland / Feilden and Mawson)

All Saints, which submitted the original scheme, had initially agreed to donate a 2,200sqm plot of land where a new village hall would be built.

However it will instead now sell the land to a separate developer to build nine new homes with a “softer” and “more traditional design”.

To compensate for this change, the developer has raised its cash contribution from £200,000 to £568,000 to help pay for the hall to be built elsewhere in the village.

And while supported by the parish council, the move has drawn criticism from some locally because the adjustment has led to funds being diverted from other local commitments.

Breckland has approved the changes (Image: Ian Burt)

Breckland Council has redirected £55,200 first earmarked for the Queens Square Surgery in Attleborough, £11,550 for library services and £33,000 for a footpath in order to reach the £725,000 needed for the new hall.

As part of the redesign,  the developer is also scrapping plans for 14 age-restricted retirement homes which planning officers had labelled as "discriminatory”.

It will build a selection of bungalows and three and four-storey homes in its place.

© Eastern Daily Press