Near misses caused by parked cars at Brightwell Lakes

Folk living on the new Brightwell Lakes development, to the east of Martlesham, have complained over road safety after a number of near misses were reported due to parked cars on the only entrance to the new estate.

Faraday Road, which comes off Ipswich Road is so far the only entrance to the new homes with the main road connecting the estate to the A12 not yet open.

The new estate at Brightwell Lakes has been built by developer Taylor Wimpey (Image: Lucy Taylor)

A resident of the estate, who has asked not to named, told this newspaper that neighbours parking on the narrow Faraday Road was causing visibility issues.

This, coupled with cars not slowing down and having to drive on the wrong side of the road has led to a number of near misses, leading to anxiety amongst neighbours.

The resident said: "I have a baby and I am terrified that something will happen, cars are not slowing down and you can't see past any of the cars at night.

Parked cars have forced traffic to the wrong side of the road, leading to near misses (Image: Submitted)

"It is really dangerous and I myself have had two or three anxiety attacks but people just say that they will park there because it is more convenient for them.

"We contacted Suffolk County Council and Taylor Wimpey about the problem, but both have said they couldn't do anything, we are just hoping for some accountability."

A spokesman for Suffolk County Council said: "We are aware of residents' concerns about issues caused by parked cars at the new Brightwell Lakes development. 

"However, the roads are yet to be adopted by Suffolk County Council, and remain the responsibility of the housing developer, Taylor Wimpey.

"Once the roads have been adopted, Suffolk County Council can see what measures can be put in place to rectify any issues."

Faraday Road is located on the new Brightwell Lakes estate (Image: Lucy Taylor)

The developer behind the new homes wrote to residents after concerns were shared, but have brought forward plans for a raised table (a road-wide speed bump).

A spokesman for Taylor Wimpey said: “We take the safety of our residents seriously. As part of our planned works for Faraday Road, we have brought forward the construction of a raised table to reduce vehicle speeds, with works having commenced in February 2026.

"We continue to work closely with East Suffolk Council and Suffolk County Council on our responsibilities during this interim period ahead of road adoption."