Traffic danger and congestion, and worries over pressure on local services, were voiced by people as they examined proposals for 180 new homes alongside the A12 at Melton.

More than 200 people attended an exhibition of the plans.

Developers have identified a 20-acre site just off the Woods Lane roundabout, and although the land is not allocated for building, those behind the project are hoping planning officers and councillors at Suffolk Coastal can be persuaded to approve the scheme.

Visitors to the exhibition expressed concerns to planning consultant Richard Brown over a range of issues, with the main worries being the access to the site, the impact of adding more traffic to the busy A12 junction and potential safety issues, and the effect on local services.

Melton has a Neighbourhood Plan in which residents prefer building to go on brownfield sites before countryside.

Bryony Abbott, chairman of Melton Parish Council, said: “This development is still at the pre-application stage and we welcome the way people from across the local community are engaging with the process and would encourage them to make their views known.”