NEW proposals to use farmland in the historic twin Trimleys for housing may only feature half the new homes which villagers feared, it can be revealed today.

NEW proposals to use farmland in the historic twin Trimleys for housing may only feature half the new homes which villagers feared, it can be revealed today.

Protesters claimed the original project for the two communities on the Felixstowe peninsula would have provided 3,000 new homes.

But a revision of the scheme – due to be submitted to Suffolk Coastal planners later this month – will probably only feature around 1,500 or so houses to be built over the next 20 years.

Dr Jeremy Fairbrother, senior bursar of the landowning Trinity College, Cambridge, told The Evening Star that the university had taken account of local residents' views – and changed the plans to keep the villages separate.

"We have looked again at the proposals and made some changes, especially in the area where the fields are and the two villages join," said Dr Fairbrother. "Although we never mentioned numbers of homes in our original vision document, people looked at the land and the most houses you could get per acre and came up with 3,000.

"We are still not putting forward numbers but we are probably looking at around half that, but they would not be built all at once and would be developed over a period of 20 years or so.

"What we will be doing in the revised vision is showing areas where we would consider housing should be of higher and lower densities.

"We had some discussions on it last week and are just putting the final touches to the documents and we hope to submit them to the planning authority by the end of the month."

The previous plans envisaged using all the land in Trimley St Mary and Trimley St Martin between the rail line and A14 for homes, business units and community facilities.

Villagers though only want around 50 new homes built in their community – for elderly people and starter homes to stop youngsters having to move away.

Suffolk Coastal council has said 7,000-plus new homes will need to be built in the part of the district supported by the Haven Gateway partnership to cater for 8,000 extra workers at Felixstowe port and in new technology companies and other industry in the area in the next 15 years.

In addition to the Trimley proposals, suggestions have been made to use land to the north of Felixstowe for a huge new development.

WEBLINKS: www.savetrimely.co.uk

www.trimley-st-mary.org.uk

How many homes do you think should be built in the Trimleys – and where should they be put? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN, or e-mail EveningStarLetters@eveningstar.co.uk