Lost village could spark changes

A LOST village discovered on the outskirts of Ipswich could scupper moves to create a public open space in a new housing development.

Building work on 123 homes, located on land near to Murrills Road, in Warren Heath, met a stumbling block in August last year when an Anglo Saxon cemetery was unearthed.

This has resulted in an original planning application approved for the site being altered, with land once set aside for a public open space now earmarked for housing.

Housing developers Persimmon Homes has submitted a revised application offering to create an open space on the site of the ancient cemetery, which was the intended location for 11 homes.

However, the proposed alteration has met a furious response from families with more than 100 letters of objection being lodged with Suffolk Coastal district council against the change.

The residents argue the original location of the open space, on land near to Murrills Road, would have provided a "buffer" between the proposed new three-story houses and the present two-story houses.

This view has been supported by Brightwell, Foxhall and Purdis Farm Group parish council, who has registered its "total objection" to the alteration.

The council also said it did not want the play area to be sidelined for "commercial profit" and did not want to sacrifice a much-needed area of open space in future.

Suffolk County Council has ordered the land remains undeveloped to allow for a full excavation in the future when they have the "manpower and resources".

A report to Suffolk Coastal district council has recommended the moves be given the go-ahead subject to the council being satisfied with the "layout and provision" of open space.

The council will discuss the proposals at a meeting on April 15.