Detailed plans for 14 homes on the edge of Ipswich have been submitted.

The project is planned for an area of agricultural land east of Holly Lane, Belstead.

The site received outline planning permission in 2019, with this application, submitted by Roundwood Restorations Limited, dealing with the finer details of the plans, including appearance, layout, landscaping and scale of the project.

The plans, now in the hands of Babergh District Council planning officers, include a number of affordable and starter homes.

The design statement for the project, prepared by Wincer Kievenaar, says: "This is a relatively small development which allows the village to grow at a reasonable rate without overwhelming the current level of infrastructure.

"The site is currently in use as part of an agricultural field. In the surrounding field configuration this is a relatively small field, which is inefficient to farm.

"The opportunity to provide affordable and starter homes on a site in Belstead would provide much-needed housing at an affordable cost.

"Elderly people looking to downsize have no other option but to move out of Belstead rather than stay in the locality where they may have lived for a considerable number of years.

"This application also considers younger residents being able to remain in the area."

Councillor Jane Gould said: “We desperately need more social housing that first-time buyers and those on low incomes can afford. However, the negative impact on small village communities of excessive development must not be underestimated.

"Belstead village already has problems with speeding traffic at rush hours when the village is used as a means of avoiding other local bottleneck junctions.

"As part of the planning process, the authority will be seeking advice from Suffolk Highways and the local parish council amongst others to try to ensure we have the right development in the right places, and I will be following the process with interest to achieve the best possible result for residents.”

A decision on the plans is set to be made in July.