Community leaders raised concerns that infrastructure such as schools and doctors' surgeries will not be ready for the opening of a major 2,000-home development near BT's headquarters.

The Brightwell Lakes estate at Martlesham Heath is being built in stages, with developer Taylor Wimpey's website stating that the "new, sustainable community" would be opening this autumn, with the first phase consisting of 317 new homes.

READ MORE: Have your say on first 315 new homes being built at Brightwell Lakes

However, community facilities are not due to be built until years later, including an "all through" school for 1,800 pupils providing early years, primary, secondary and sixth form education on a 13 acre site.

The £100million-plus project will also include a new convenience store, community centre, sports ground, open space, outdoor play areas, community orchards, and a 1.5-acre employment area.

A Brightwell Lakes Forum has been set up involving represents of local councils to discuss the development, to the south and east of Adastral Park, where BT is based.

East Anglian Daily Times: The site of the Brightwell Lakes developmentThe site of the Brightwell Lakes development (Image: Taylor Wimpey)

Martlesham parish councillor Mike Irwin, who chairs the forum, said he was "positive" about the progress Taylor Wimpey was making, particularly with the establishment of the forum.

However, he wanted doctors' surgeries and schools in the area to be extended so they can accommodate the newcomers.

READ MORE: Go-ahead set for another 200 Adastral Park site homes

"If there isn't going to be a school until 2027 then the existing school will need to be extended to take the pupils and we would like to be reassured that the county council have got it in hand," Mr Irwin said.

He added the parish council had a number of initiatives to help the new residents to integrate into the community and to make up for the lack of infrastructure at the start.

"I think at the moment we are quite positive about the way things are developing," Mr Irwin added.

Waldringfield parish councillors were concerned the development would generate a large increase in vehicles, potentially jeopardising the safety of residents and members of the public.

READ MORE: Martlesham news

The council's chair Ian Kay said: "Waldringfield Parish Council was - and still is - very concerned about the Brightwell Lakes development and has a long, 15-year history of objecting to the location and the scale of this extremely large development of 2,000 dwellings.  

"The parish council is somewhat reassured by the approach taken by Taylor Wimpey since they acquired the site but a fundamental issue remains.

"Waldringfield has a popular beach that already suffers from severe overcrowding in the summer. It is a small village with narrow roads without pedestrian footpaths.  

"The inevitable large increase in traffic generated by the Brightwell Lakes development will have a significant impact on the safety of all our residents and other members of the public."

A spokesman for East Suffolk Council said the Brightwell Lakes site was identified because it would enable the delivery of a primary and secondary school.

He said the timescale for the school's construction was established when the planning application was submitted in April 2017 and was discussed at three public consultations before outline planning permission for the site was approved in April 2018.

The spokesman said: "Infrastructure is already being constructed around land which will be transferred by Taylor Wimpey to Suffolk County Council to deliver the school upon 100 occupations of properties.

"A community forum was established after the outline permission was granted, to include members of Martlesham, Brightwell and Waldringfield parish councils and enable further engagement on how the site is being delivered and how the community infrastructure and community cohesion will be formed over time.

"Open space and play provision being delivered early for the first residents has always been a leading necessary influence in any housing on this site," he added.

A spokesman for Suffolk County Council said: "It is standard practise to wait until the majority of homes are built before providing a new school within a housing development.    

“If we were to build the school before the homes, we risk the school being filled by pupils from other areas, or with too few students and therefore not financially viable.

“As is the case across the country, we generally wait until there is a good quantum of pupils on the new development before opening a school.

"Until that time any initial school places required would be met by existing schools in the area.”

A Taylor Wimpey spokesperson said: “We will soon be launching our Brightwell Lakes development in Martlesham, therefore no homes have yet been sold on this development. 

“We are committed to providing all the community facilities, including the [primary] school, as set out in the terms of the Section 106 agreement.

“The community forum was launched over a year ago and was introduced as a way of keeping the existing local community informed of the progress of our site."