A new housing estate of up to 190 homes looks set to be built - despite neighbours’ fears their town will struggle to cope with a large increase in residents.

Richborough Estates has applied to build the new homes on land south of Harrisons Drive, Halesworth, saying it will be “a distinctive and locally inspired housing development where people will want to live”.

It says the site will have strong links to walkways, roads and public transport for commuters, as well as provide a range of properties from bungalows to larger family homes.

A third of the homes will also be designated as “affordable properties”, which would either be available for rent or to buy in a shared ownership deal.

But a number of objections have made against the new homes, with both Halesworth and Holton parish councils urging that the plan is refused when discussed by district councillors on Tuesday, April 16.

Halesworth Town Council said there were “inadequate parking facilities for visitors or for allowing for additional vehicle ownership on the site”, while Holton Parish Council added: “It is also felt that at the moment the existing infrastructure of schools and doctors surgery cannot support further development of the scale contemplated.”

Residents also wrote in to say that infrastructure in terms of schools and doctors surgeries needs to improve before such a large development is built, as well as to raise fears about parking in the town.

But East Suffolk Council officers have encouraged the authority’s shadow north area planning committee to approve the plans for outline planning permission, saying it would create some economic benefit and and be “providing housing to meet local need”.

A traffic assessment as part of the application anticipated an average of two vehicle movements every minute during the morning and evening peak periods.

It added: “The increase in vehicle movements as a result of the development proposals would have no discernible effect on the operation of the wider highway network.”

In the application, Brown & Co., agents acting on behalf of Richborough Estates, said: “The proposed development would be beneficial in helping to increase the supply of housing land and assisting in the further provision of both market and affordable housing.

“In doing so, the proposal would support both the social and economic objectives of sustainability by providing housing to meet local need and by ensuring land is available to support growth.”