RESIDENTS have asked community leaders to hold a special meeting so that they can give their views before a decision is made on 200 new homes.

Optima Land and Property and JCN Design are drawing up the proposals for a field at the junction of Ferry Road and Gulpher Road at Old Felixstowe.

The plans include allotments, public open space, plus cash contributions for more school places, work to ease school-time congestion on the roads, and for improvements to the area, but residents are firmly against the scheme.

They fear it will create extra traffic, say there is no need for more homes, too many homes are proposed, Ferry Road is inadequate to take extra vehicles, and are concerned at the impact on the countryside, and loss of agricultural land.

Gill Mason, of Save Felixstowe Countryside, is to formally ask Felixstowe Town Council if an extraordinary meeting can be held – as it was with the debate over the Local Development Framework, the blueprint for the future of the area – so people could give their views to councillors before a decision is made.

“There is a lot of interest in these plans and I think a large capacity venue would be needed. This is a large-scale development and of great importance to the town,” she said.

Mayor Mike Deacon said the council had not yet considered whether an extraordinary meeting would be necessary because no planning application had yet been submitted.

“It might be something we would look at, but at this stage I cannot comment further because we have not received any plans,” he said.

JCN Design hope a planning application will be submitted later in the year and work can begin at the end of 2013 with completion by 2017.