A decision will be made next week on controversial homes plans that have previously conflicted with a Suffolk town’s Neighbourhood Plan. 

East Suffolk Council’s planning south committee is due to consider developer Leaper Land’s revised plans to build 35 homes in Victoria Mill Road, Framlingham, on Tuesday (November 22). 

Councillors are recommended to approve the project - providing the developer carries out required road improvements before any work starts on the homes.

Previous plans for 49 homes had been rejected because the town’s Neighbourhood Plan required developments to be small in nature, of "approximately 30 dwellings", while there were concerns that road widening would encroach on an area of grass that had been declared an Asset of Community Value (ACV). 

However, Simon Garrett, chair of Framlingham Town Council’s planning and environment committee, said many of the original objections remained and while the number of homes had been reduced, there were particular concerns about the changes to the road. 

The district council’s policies prohibit development on ACVs, Mr Garrett added. 

He said: “In our view, nothing has changed, it should still be rejected because it would mean bulldozing over a green that would represent an ACV and it is East Suffolk’s policy not to do that.” 

Mr Garrett proposed that instead of widening the road, new access roads to the site should be created either from Kettleburgh Road or Station Road. 

The application has also received 70 objections, raising concerns about highway safety, overdevelopment, the density and quantity of the housing and flood risk and drainage. 

The 35 homes would be in the ‘self-build’ category with 12 being affordable, while there will also be the provision of public open space with an equipped play and multi-use games area.  

However, Dominic Palmer-Tomkinson, a director of Leaper Land, said: "We are obviously disappointed that our original application was refused on the grounds of it not being approximately 30 units, which was what was earmarked in the Framlingham Neighbourhood Plan.

"So we have listened and resubmitted an application for 35 units which we hope will be looked upon more favourably because it is closer to the approximately 30 units earmarked in the Neighbourhood Plan."

He added concerns about the loss of ACV space were more than made up for by the provision of open space and a fully equipped play area as part of the development.