A CONTROVERSIAL huge new housing development of more than 200 properties was criticised last nightfor being too tall and dwarfing existing homes.The houses in Manor Terrace at Felixstowe's south seafront are 8.

A CONTROVERSIAL huge new housing development of more than 200 properties was criticised last nightfor being too tall and dwarfing existing homes.

The houses in Manor Terrace at Felixstowe's south seafront are 8.6m high – but the proposed new properties will be up to 14.3m tall in the five storey block of flats.

Nearly 100 residents attended a special meeting of Felixstowe town council at Langer primary school to voice their fears about the project planned by the district council and Bloor Homes.

It will contain a £2.3m package of leisure attractions including playgrounds, car parking and toilets, plus 209 homes in a development designed like a sea wave.

David Rowe, county councillor for Felixstowe Landguard, said the Local Plan allowed for leisure facilities at the south seafront and a "minor" residential development.

Mr Rowe said: "Thirty six per cent of land will be used for housing – in nobody's stretch of imagination can that be called minor. I would support some development of this land, nobody wants it to stay derelict as it is, but it does need to be lower key and as a result they would need less residential units to pay for it."

He said 82 units per hectare were planned which was a greater density than elsewhere along the Suffolk coast. Mr Rowe added that a low flood risk assessment had been given for the scheme and yet householders in Manor Terrace already regularly used sandbags to stop flooding of their properties.

Peter Meller from Felixstowe, said: "I think this is a rotten development for every taxpayer. I am very clearly of the view that existing homeowners will be at greater risk and that they will have a strong and expensive claim against the council if flooding does occur.

"Apart from a few houses the rest looks more like a factory unit being turned into homes. The developers have agreed to provide just 10% of affordable housing – how mean can you get?"

Many local councils are pressing for over 50% of affordable housing without the land being given to them. I think this project does represent exceptional value – but only for the developer and not the council."

The Save South Seafront Soakaway action group's newsletter said the proposed homes would be so high that they would overlook and invade the privacy of current residents.