Detailed plans for 368 new homes at Felixstowe have been lodged with planners - but community leaders fear construction could cause traffic and road safety problems.

Bloor Homes will build the Walton North/Green scheme on land in Walton High Street, part of which had originally been earmarked for a Tesco superstore.

But town and parish councillors are concerned that construction traffic will use the High Street and Trimley High Road, both of which are already extremely busy and include vehicles going to and from a high school and primary school.

Ipswich Star: Members of the public visiting an exhibition of the earliest plans for the Walton Green siteMembers of the public visiting an exhibition of the earliest plans for the Walton Green site (Image: Archant)

Councillors flagged six years ago that building the spine road through the estate and the main access onto the A154 Walton bypass Candlet Road before work on the homes started was essential.

However, they were ignored by district council planners - and outline planning permission said the roundabouts must be built by the time 100 homes are ready and the spine road by the 150th home completed.

Bloor Homes says the link road connecting Candlet Road and High Street - with a roundabout at each junction - will relieve traffic on High Street and allow for a more direct route to the A14.

Felixstowe Town Council is recommending refusal of the detailed plans.

It has "concerns about the insufficient level of detail on the delivery of the spine road and roundabouts which – particularly with respect to the roundabout to Candlet Road - should be required to be completed on commencement, prior to construction of any housing.

Ipswich Star: The Walton North/Green site at Felixstowe where proposals have been put forward for 368 homesThe Walton North/Green site at Felixstowe where proposals have been put forward for 368 homes (Image: Archant)

"It is essential that construction traffic should be via Candlet Road and not via Walton High Street. We would also expect to see a phasing drawing."

Trimley St Mary Parish Council said: "The Candlet Road roundabout junction should be completed prior to commencement of building activity and this junction should be the single point of entry for all construction traffic.

"Waiting late in the development before completion of the roundabout junction would significantly reduce highway safety along the High Rd, where heavy construction traffic will add to an already overburdened road.

"To adopt the High Rd through Trimley as a route for heavy construction traffic is to ignore known bottlenecks and traffic blackspots. Traffic data taken by the parish council shows that the High Rd is already over capacity."

The site of the Walton North/Green development stands opposite Walton Gate, where 186 homes were built next to Felixstowe School.

The new development would have eight acres of open space alongside the spine road. Of the 368 homes, 88 would be affordable.

Bloor Homes said: "The Link Road was considered by both the district council and county council to deliver significant benefit by providing an additional route for traffic accessing or exiting Felixstowe and thereby relieving traffic passing through the Trimley villages.

"The Link Road was therefore designed to provide for a road with sufficient capacity to perform its primary function whilst being set within a landscaped environment to provide a new gateway to Felixstowe that is befitting of the status of the town."