Therese Coffey meets NANT members in Waldringfield

A GROUP of campaigners, opposed to the development of a so-called ‘new town’ near Ipswich, have asked a Suffolk MP to show public support for their objections.

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Suffolk Coastal MP Therese Coffey met representatives of NANT (No Adastral New Town) during a constituency visit to Waldringfield, near the district council’s proposed location for 2000 homes, at the BT site in Martlesham.

NANT objects to housing being mainly restricted to one area of the local countryside, claiming development would have an “irretrievable negative impact” on the Deben Estuary.

Under the Local Development Framework (LDF), Suffolk Coastal District Council proposes building 446 homes in the region each year until 2027, including 2,000 homes at Martlesham Heath. It also includes proposals to build between 1,000 and 1,400 homes in Felixstowe and the Trimley villages.

During discussion with NANT yesterday, Dr Coffey was asked by NANT to publicly contest the development of greenfield space for housing, as they claim she had prior to her election as MP.

Janet Elliot, a member of NANT, said: “The view of the local people is that a development of this scale on a site adjacent to an area of natural beauty would have an irretrievable negative impact on the internationally protected Deben Estuary. In addition, such a concentrated development would cause gridlock on the already congested A14.

“Constituents were concerned that, prior to her election as an MP, Dr Coffey stated that she was against building on greenfield sites - but since her election she has not made any public statement on this very important matter. Dr Coffey confirmed that she was against such large developments as that planned for the BT site and that she has made her views known to the leader of the council.

“Constituents asked her to actively support her constituents by making her more publicly known her views on important planning issues.”

Dr Coffey argued that her views had remained consistent about the development of housing throughout her candidacy and since her election, adding that though being invariably in favour of the spreading out of construction, she accepted councillors had a hard decision to make. “That is still my view,” she added. “I have offered to work with campaigners to talk about how they can better shape their objections.

“I respect the decision councillors have to make, and I won’t tell them how to vote, just like they won’t tell me how to vote in Westminster.”

The council green-lit its Core Strategy at the end of last year, outlining where new homes could be built.

An independent planning inspector will make a decision on whether or not to give it the final go ahead.

Members of the public now have until Wednesday, March 7 to comment on the “soundness” of the plans.

For more information or to view the core strategy, visit the Suffolk Coastal offices at Melton Hill, Woodbridge, log on to www.suffolkcoastal.gov.uk/yourdistrict/planning/review/corestrategy/presub mission, e-mail development.policy@suffolkcoastal.gov.uk or call 01394 444761.