CONTROVERSIAL new proposals for development of the historic twin Trimley villages could see them lose their separate identities.That is the fear today of residents and parish councillors, who have been shown draft ideas for using spare land in the area for new homes, community facilities, premises or small business, schools and village greens.

CONTROVERSIAL new proposals for development of the historic twin Trimley villages could see them lose their separate identities.

That is the fear today of residents and parish councillors, who have been shown draft ideas for using spare land in the area for new homes, community facilities, premises or small business, schools and village greens.

One idea is that a new village centre could be created – but instead of one for Trimley St Martin and one for Trimley St Mary, it could be a joint one on fields near the roundabout close to the villages' boundaries.

This could effectively merge the villages into one large community.

Landowners Trinity College, Cambridge, who have drawn up the plans, stress that many of the schemes will not come to fruition for 15 to 20 years.

But residents are already intrigued and concerned – and councillors in Trimley St Mary are upset that the proposals were made public before they had been given a chance to hear and discuss them at their monthly meeting.

Bidwells Property Consultants, agents for Trinity College, announced details of the project for land owned by the university to develop fields west of Walton, some fringe areas of Felixstowe, and sites in Trimley.

Trimley St Mary Parish Council is now sending a letter to Bidwells voicing its concern that it was not told first.

The council has been considering its own plan for the village and its top priority is to remain a separate community and keep its identity.

It feels there is some scope for looking at the creation of a future "village centre" in the area of Great Street Farm in High Road for St Mary, and that some extra housing would be needed for older people and young families.

Trimley St Martin would have its own village centre, probably centred around the Memorial Hall, Hand in Hand and sports and social club. Fields in this area were recently the subject of an unfounded rumour as the site of 400 homes.

Trinity College has drawn up its plans after asking the Town and Country Planning Association to draw up a report on the way the Felixstowe Peninsula should develop so that a consensus of opinion could be formed before Suffolk Coastal's planners brought forward their next local plan for the area.

The proposals now drawn up for the next 15 to 20 years though are far more major and radical than most people envisaged.

Tim Collins, from Bidwells, said: "Although there are no allocations for new development on this scale on the Felixstowe peninsula, the college recognises the importance of looking in detail at the best possible way of implementing such a strategic allocation, should it occur, albeit that this may be many years in the future."

n What do you think – would it matter if St Mary and St Martin were simply Trimley? Write to Evening Stare Letters, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN, or e-mail EveningStarLetters@eveningstar.co.uk