A council have been advised to approve plans for 65 homes in Bacton - despite fears the gap between the village and nearby Cotton will be reduced to a ‘vanishing point’.

East Anglian Daily Times: The railway bridge at Bacton is set to be upgraded Picture: GOOGLEMAPSThe railway bridge at Bacton is set to be upgraded Picture: GOOGLEMAPS (Image: Archant)

The proposals, from GJ and CA Abbott, look to build the homes on the west side of Broad Road in Bacton - a patch of land adjacent to the Cotton parish boundary.

Mid Suffolk District Council's development control committee have been advised to green light the project when they meet on Wednesday, September 18.

Cotton Parish Council raised fears over access to the site, increased traffic in the area and the argued for the importance of keeping the two villages of Bacton and Cotton distinct.

Its objection reads: "It continues to be essential to the character of the countryside to maintain a physical separation between Bacton and Cotton, construction of 65 houses on this site will reduce that separation to vanishing point."

However, planning officers at the council say the risk of the two villages merging would only be an issue if development were to spread eastwards, beyond Broad Road.

The planning report reads: "Currently there is an approximate 454m gap (just over 1/4 mile) between Broad Road and the closest part of the western edge of the village of Cotton.

"That gap will remain without any new encroachment were this development to be approved."

The parish also argued the proposals, which include a plan to upgrade Bacton's railway underpass with the addition of a pathway for pedestrians, would not solve issues with vehicles trying to gain access to the village's facilities.

It said: "If a safe solution to the problem of the under-bridge had been available it would have been actioned long ago; building more houses on the "wrong" side of the bridge will achieve nothing other than to make the problems worse."

But council officers said despite the parish council's 'scepticism', the works would provide 'village-wide accessibility benefits' as well as linking the new development to services west of the bridge.

If approved, the site is expected to provide 22 affordable homes in the area as well as contributions towards a new primary school and school transport.