MORE than 2,000 homes could be built in the Felixstowe area - to cope with expansion of the port.Building hundreds on the fields of the twin Trimley villages today looks even more likely, though probably no work will start on greenfield sites for more than a decade.

MORE than 2,000 homes could be built in the Felixstowe area - to cope with expansion of the port.

Building hundreds on the fields of the twin Trimley villages today looks even more likely, though probably no work will start on greenfield sites for more than a decade.

Details of the proposals are to be revealed in the new Felixstowe masterplan, which puts forward several options for the future of the town and its nearby villages.

The options range from minimal development - certainly not realistic now government has approved the £240 million port expansion project - or to push forward, expand and modernise.

Along with redevelopment of the southern part of the port, set to create 1,400 new jobs, suggestions are made for an enterprise park to create another 900.

However, not all the ideas in the masterplan will become reality - all will depend on how much of it Suffolk Coastal decides to include in its Local Development Plan.

But one thing is clear, Felixstowe has to cope with port expansion as well as its natural growth.

The ideas were presented to councillors at a special meeting by consultants David Lock Associates, who started work on the £100,000 masterplan a year ago.

Trimley St Mary Parish Council vice-chairman Bryan Frost said: “With the port definitely now going to expand, Felixstowe will need new homes so people will live near their jobs.

“There is no ruling out where they will built, and Trimley St Martin looks as if it could take many of them with some in St Mary.

“I thought the presentation was confusing because of the way the options were presented, but we could be looking at as many as 2,200 homes.”

Ian Cowan, of Trimley action group STAG, said the consultants felt the fields would only be built on once all available land in Walton and Felixstowe had been used. This could be ten to 15 years.

Felixstowe councillor Mike Ninnmey said: “There were some interesting ideas which will need further examination. My disappointment was there was little for the 'resort' part of our town.”

WEBLINK: www.davidlock.com