Babergh councillors are today being urged to give permission for more than 600 homes on the edge of Ipswich – despite strong opposition from the town itself.

The district’s planning committee is due to meet in the market town of Hadleigh – 10 miles from Ipswich – to decide the fate of a belt of land within the A14 by-pass.

Planning officials are urging councillors to give planning permission for 155 homes and a 65-bed care home in the grounds of Belstead House and for 475 homes near Poplar Lane in Sproughton – behind the Holiday Inn Hotel.

They are urging the plans are approved subject to a Section 106 agreement to pay for improvements to the areas.

However the larger application has prompted objections from Ipswich Council, whose planners have said not enough thought has been given to its impact on the town.

It said no planning permission should be given until a comprehensive masterplan has been drawn up for the “southern fringe” of the town stretching from the former beet factory at Sproughton to the A1214 heading south of Ipswich.

The borough says a piecemeal development – like that proposed in this application – would add to the already serious congestion on the roads and does not take enough account of new services that will be needed. It also says the standard of houses proposed fronting the A1071 between the A1214 and Hadleigh road would be very poor.

The Belstead House application has prompted serious concern at Pinewood Parish Council because of its likely impact on traffic in that part of Ipswich.

The Belstead application is due to be heard at 9.30am on Wednesday, with the “Southern Fringe” application heard at 2pm at Babergh’s offices in Hadleigh.