A developer wants to build 22 new homes in Woolverstone and create a pathway connecting four nearby villages.

Geoffrey Mayhew Farms Ltd has submitted proposals to Babergh District Council to build the homes, path and create open space in the village.

The homes would be built in several small plots of land in Woolverstone, with 10 being constructed in Main Road and the rest in land off nearby Harkstead Lane.

Some would be located outside the Woolverstone boundary, while the developer has confirmed two would be classed as affordable.

Fisher Jones Greenwood, who submitted the plans on behalf of the applicant, said the scheme provides “a unique opportunity to deliver a scheme that can be heralded in the future” as it is founded on “strong, positive architectural principles”.

Geoffrey Mayhew Farms said it has recognised the “limited facilities” in the area when devising the plans for the homes and opted to include a path connecting Woolverstone, Freston, Holbrook and Chelmondiston, which would be maintained in perpetuity by the land owner.

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The planning statement submitted alongside the proposals described the plan for the path as “highly positive, well thought out and well-conceived”, given its likely use for students attending the nearby Holbrook Academy and people visiting shops in other villages.

Alongside the homes and path, the application would also see open space created in the village, with the provision of building a play area in the future.

The planning statement added: “The application proposal brings a wealth of other socially beneficial aspects to Woolverstone on a scale that would not normally be associated with a development of the size that is proposed.

“There is short term economic benefits during construction and longer term economic and social benefits through occupiers using local services and community facilities. “The proposal provides a unique opportunity to deliver a highly positive scheme that will form part of the historic record for Woolverstone with a positive outcome for Woolverstone and the surrounding area.”

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