Plans to sell the Martlesham police headquarters site for development of 250 homes have ramped up after letters were issued to people inviting them to an information day.

Plans were first mooted by Suffolk police and crime commissioner Tim Passmore in 2015 to relocate police services, as the site costs in the region of £1million annually to run.

The site was one of 1,000 listed in Suffolk Coastal District Council’s local plan as being potential for development, but in November Mr Passmore said there was no immediate intention to sell the site.

Now, letters have been issued to people in Martlesham inviting them to a drop-in event on June 18 where they can find out more about the potential for the land to be sold and homes to be built.

Mr Passmore said: “In order to save money that can be re-invested into police services, we are exploring the possibility of selling the Police Headquarters site at Martlesham for development and relocating to premises in the Ipswich area.

“Nothing is set in stone and we really are fact-finding at the moment.

“We need to understand the value of the site, were planning permission for housing to be granted – so that we can then make a decision as to whether it should be sold.

“We look forward to sharing initial plans with the local community and listening to people’s views before any decisions are made.”

The announcement has gathered pace on social media, where lots of people have been commenting on the proposals.

It follows the confirmation in January that 2,000 homes will be built at Adastral Park, while talks are ongoing for up to 1,300 homes off Bell Lane and Foxhall Road in Kesgrave.

Some police services were moved to Landmark House in Ipswich in 2012, including most officers and office staff from the former Ipswich station, which closed completely in 2014.

The proposals come at a time of work to cut police costs by around £20m.

The drop-in event will give locals the chance to find out more about how the scheme could work, as well as the opportunity to offer comments and feedback.

The drop-in event takes place on Monday, June 18 from 3-8pm at the Martlesham Heath Pavilion in The Drift.