As a close supporter of the hospice's vital care, and as a Hillington resident, I was thrilled to hear the news that outline planning permission for a new purpose-built hospice in Hillington has been granted.

The hospice valiantly works to meet the urgent need for hospice care throughout West Norfolk but there is currently a huge unmet need with no inpatient beds outside of Norwich to serve this large, sparsely populated area and its ageing community.

The planning board's approval of the outline plans gives the community new hope that the same level of hospice care that other parts of the UK have are now within Norfolk's grasp.

I am one of a great many Hillington residents who are in favour of the new hospice and feel great pride that our village will be the site of such a wonderful and vital facility for the area.

Though there have, understandably, been a number of reservations about how the new hospice may affect the village, the level of support I have seen has been significant and the planning board received more than 35 individual letters of support and a petition of 79 names offering their support for the project.

K. Root, Hillington