PUBLIC money will not be used to build a new link road from the A14 to Ipswich docks, it was confirmed today.But the borough councillor in charge of the town's highways policy said he personally believed a new road should be built by private developers.

PUBLIC money will not be used to build a new link road from the A14 to Ipswich docks, it was confirmed today.

But the borough councillor in charge of the town's highways policy said he personally believed a new road should be built by private developers.

Paul West was speaking after the Suffolk Wildlife Trust revealed it had received 500 objections to the proposed new East Bank Link near Piper's Vale.

And the government's Highways Agency has changed its mind and lodged an objection to a new junction being built on to the A14 near the Orwell Bridge.

Mr West said: “I know there are a lot of objections, but I wonder how many of those are from people who live in another part of the town or county.

“The objectors might feel differently if they lived in Wherstead Road or Landseer Road.”

The east bank link road, first proposed many years ago, would have to cross a valuable wildlife and public amenity area in order to get to the A12 near the Orwell Bridge.

Dr Simone Bullion, the trust's senior conservation officer, said she was delighted with the result.

“We have strong feelings about not allowing this road to progress because of the ecological damage which would be caused,” she said.

The road proposals would be considered early next year, but Mr West accepted there was no chance of it attracting government or county council funding.

He said: “The only way it could be built is entirely by a private developer and there is interest there - but it would have to go through the full planning process first.”