A row has broken out over plans to build hundreds of affordable homes in a seaside town where soaring house prices have forced local families to move elsewhere.

Landowner Hon Robert Harbord-Hammond wants to build 400 two-bedroom cottages on 16 acres of the Royal Cromer golf club's practice range, in Cromer, Norfolk.

He is calling on the planning authority, North Norfolk District Council, to support his plans.

But the council is concerned the proposed site is not building land and is designated as an area of outstanding natural beauty.

They are refusing to have meaningful pre-application discussions with us Hon Robert Harbord-Hammond

Mr Harbord-Hammond told BBC News Online local families often cannot afford to buy homes in Cromer partly because of the number of second homes in the town.

He said his plan would help ease the problems of the town - which has more than 400 families on its council house waiting list.

He said council officers have a negative attitude towards his proposals.

"They are refusing to have meaningful pre-application discussions with us," he said.

Inflexible laws

John Sweeney, the Liberal Democrat leader of the council, called on Mr Harbord-Hammond to put the planning application in to the council.

"Even if we, the council, want to build we still go through the same process of putting in a planning application," he said.

Mr Harbord-Hammond says he is reluctant to put in an application at this stage because he believes the authority would turn it down, forcing him to appeal and triggering a lengthy public inquiry.

Norman Lamb, Liberal Democrat MP for North Norfolk, said the council's hands may be tied because of the inflexibility of planning law.

He said he is pressing the case in Parliament for greater flexibility in areas such as North Norfolk where there is a real shortage of affordable accommodation.

Mr Lamb said he would be happy to act as a go-between for any discussions between the council and Mr Harbord-Hammond.