A DEVELOPER has claimed the views of residents are being ignored over a new housing scheme on the site of an old mill.Woodbridge Town Council's planning committee is urging the district council to refuse plans to demolish Nunns Mill, Quayside, and replace it with two terraces each of four houses.

A DEVELOPER has claimed the opinions of residents are being ignored over a new housing scheme on the site of an old mill.

Woodbridge Town Council's planning committee is urging the district council to refuse plans to demolish Nunns Mill, Quayside, and replace it with two terraces each of four houses.

The council said it wanted the developer, Michael Howard Homes, to market the site for employment purposes. This is the second application for the site. On the first application the council said it wanted the height reduced.

The revised plans have support from residents in Crown Place. Don Tucker, whose wife Beryl is secretary of Crown Place Residents Association, said: ''Everybody here thinks the plans are a vast improvement although there are things to be sorted out.''

Cllr Roy Burgon told the planning committee: ''We must look at the long-term as we are losing the employment sites quickly. We must make every effort to preserve them – we are losing employment to big houses.''

Nick Corke, senior land buyer with Michael Howard Homes, said: ''This plan is very much supported by the locals and in Crown Place, but first the town council says it is too large and then you say it is about employment. This is sending out mixed messages.''

He said the site had not been marketed for employment because Suffolk Coastal's land register showed there was 364,000sq ft of available accommodation in Woodbridge, Martlesham and Bentwaters.

Mac Miles, Woodbridge mayor, supported the revised scheme saying: ''I think it is a much better design than the last one and it is using a site that will otherwise become derelict.''

The first application is the subject of an appeal after the district council failed to make a decision within the statutory eight-week period.