Plans for 185 homes recommended for approval

Plans for 185 new homes have been recommended for approval in a village in east Suffolk, despite concerns from residents.

Councillors will look at two applications - one for 26 homes and a separate one for 159 homes to be created at a later date, to the north of Hall Lane in Oulton.

East Suffolk Council has received 40 letters of objection from residents, alongside formal objections from Oulton, Lowestoft and Flixton (east) parish councils.

The plans are to be discussed by the council's planning committee at 14:00 GMT.

The development would make 20% of its housing "affordable". There are also plans for a pre-school site and public open space.

Concerns that have been raised include overdevelopment, a loss of greenfield land and highways safety.

A spokesperson for Oulton Parish Council said: "We have no objections to the original 6.3 hectares but we strongly object to the land grab of an important paddock that forms part of the green corridor, which creates a break for the wildlife and biodiversity of Oulton."

The developer, WM Tubby, predicted there would be an additional 139 two-way vehicle movements during the morning peak hour - equivalent to two cars every minute.

One resident said: "To have another housing estate built near here would increase the traffic enormously."

Another resident described the current road system as a "racetrack".

The officers' report recommended the plans for approval, subject to conditions. They said the "moderate weightings of harm" were outweighed by the benefits of the application.

If approved, the company would pay more than £2.25m in developer contributions, which would be used in areas including education, highways infrastructure and waste.

Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.