Major proposals which could see a Suffolk town grow with up to 1,000 new homes and thousands of jobs have been approved.

Councillors at Mid Suffolk District Council met today to discuss the plans for two large sites in Stowmarket.

The first is Chilton Leys, which is to the north-west of the town and could see 1,000 homes, a school and community facilities built over a 15-year period.

Mid Suffolk has marked the Mill Lane development, which would be next to the A14 near the Cedars Park residential estate, as providing up to 3,000 jobs.

The council is hopeful Mill Lane will quickly find developers after “serious interest” in the site was made earlier in the year by an advanced manufacturing firm.

Councillors approved the final Chilton Leys plans but the Mill Lane proposals are only in “draft” form and are set for further scrutiny via a public consultation next year.

Speaking at this morning’s meeting, council leader, Derrick Haley, said: “It’s an opportunity for employment and that’s what we need. It’s all part of the growth agenda that we need to encourage people to come here. It’s great that developers want to get on and there’s people who want to occupy these places. It’s not something we have had for a long time.”

There had been concern expressed by Onehouse Parish Council there would be a loss of its boundary as a large section of the Chilton Leys development lies within the village border.

Stowmarket Town Council has applied to Mid Suffolk to extend its own boundary to include the entire Chilton Leys development.

The first planning application for Chilton Leys is expected to be examined by the council next month.

Following a petition which was signed by more than 660 people, Mid Suffolk decided to save the council-owned playing area, Chilton Fields, from being developed on.

There is now a three-month period given to allow any High Court challenges to the Chilton Leys plans.

The final Mill Lane plans are expected to be approved next April.