Diss Town Council voted in favour of Diss Cricket Club's proposal, with councillors voting 4-1 in favour – with one abstention – at the amenities and services committee meeting on Wednesday.

The proposal will now be referred to South Norfolk Council for a final decision.

Angry residents have vowed to fight the plan and Evan Heasley said: "I think the decision is farcical and undemocratic.

"I've spoken to some people who are furious. We are going to get a working group together and we are going to fight this."

The decision followed objections from the public gallery and the presentation of a petition of 411 signatures in opposition to the fence.

Councillors were urged by chairman Andrew Thurston to make a positive decision either way.

Trevor Wenman expressed opposition to the fence because new evidence had come to light since the previous meeting.

He said: "The one thing that was not clear was the strength of public opinion which has obviously grown since the last meeting."

He added installing a fence would not solve all the problems presented by the cricket club, which include vandalism, anti-social behaviour and dog fouling.

Cricket club chairman Patrick Quick listed specific incidents of vandalism or dog fouling including a break-in, and added that problems that remain "fall to the cricket club in their entirety."

He dismissed suggestions that the club had other motives for installing the fence, such as charging entrance fees or promoting their club status.

He said: "We are not erecting a 30-metre fence with barbed wire around it.

"We have to take a practical approach and sympathetic fencing with one point of access is the answer.

What do you think? Add your comments below.