Developers seeking to build up to 300 homes in Barham and Claydon have been told they must contribute £1million towards a new primary school for the area.

The proposed build, which must include 105 affordable homes, would be located off Norwich Road.

At a meeting of the Mid Suffolk planning referrals committee on Wednesday, March 14, it was recommended that developers contribute £1,232,175 towards a new school.

They should also provide land for a doctor’s surgery and a church expansion, plus highway improvements and contributions to local infrastructure.

Having balanced the benefits with the challenges posed by the new development, the committee concluded that it would make a suitable and important contribution to Mid Suffolk’s five-year housing supply.

The committee report stated that: “It is clear that the applicants have sought, wherever possible, to reduce the impacts on heritage assets and have engaged in a positive dialogue with both Historic England and the church itself. The benefits resulting from the development which relate directly to the church, including delivery of the car park and the new access arrangements, would help to ensure the longevity of the church and maintain its use as a community facility and heritage asset.

“Whilst it has been identified that the proposal does give rise to negative impacts which weigh against the proposal, such as the potential landscape impacts, the impact on heritage assets and the traffic generation [...] it is considered that the benefits that the scheme brings through the provision of new housing, the securing of 105 (35%) affordable properties, and the contributions towards local infrastructure outweigh the negative elements.

“As such, the proposal is considered to be sustainable development.”

However the planning committee were minded to refuse the application at this time, while they seek further information.

Meanwhile, an application to build 64 homes in Needham Market has been approved by Babergh council, pending recommendations.

The development on land north-west of Hill House Lane would also have to include 22 affordable homes, open space and public transport improvements.

However Mid Suffolk Green Party councillor John Matthissen said it was disappointing to hear that another development had been approved while the council still had so many builds in the pipeline.

He claimed that, in order to meet its five-year housing supply, the council has taken on more than it can chew.

Mr Matthissen said: “It is disappointing to see another application approved when we have a very large number of planning permissions already banked.”