An 11-year-old boy is leading the charge against 190 new homes being built in his village.

Stan Allsop, of Stowmarket Road, Stowupland, is one of hundreds of residents who are against the proposals for land off Church Road and Gipping Road.

The Stowupland Primary School pupil got up at last week’s public meeting, the second to be held to discuss the plans, to hand in his own opposition letter. He went along with his mother Judith and brother Fred, 11.

Stan said: “There are three reasons why I am not happy: one is that a lot of people including me do not want Stowupland turning into a town; the second is it will lead to overcrowding in the schools and village and thirdly, it will lead to pollution and we will lose the countryside feeling.

“I’m pretty proud of saying I don’t want the houses and standing up at the meeting. The village is nice how it is; I don’t want it to change.”

Stan was one of a number of children to get up at the meeting to hand in their own letters, Mrs Allsop said.

An opposition group, Save our Stowupland, along with the parish council are also fighting the proposals.

So far an outline application has been put forward to Mid Suffolk District Council. Keith Welham, parish chairman, said more than 100 residents had sent their objections to Mid Suffolk. He said: “The village produced a Parish Plan a few years ago and a huge majority of residents – well over 90% – were against major development and still are.

“The site being proposed for Stowupland is too big and the wrong side of the village.”

No-one from developer, Gladman Development, was available to comment. Previously, the developers said more than 60 of the homes would have “affordable” rents; with £22million being pumped into the construction industry and 80 new jobs created a year for five years, if the proposals are approved.