Traffic fears for seafront

FAMILIES living near the site of a proposed £25 million seafront maritime park and homes development today feared it will lead to horrendous parking problems and cause gridlock.

They say the number of visitors the Felixstowe project will attract plus the 500 extra people who will live in the new properties will put too many cars on roads which cannot cope.

But while residents living close to the resort's 17.5-acre south seafront are still anxious about the development proposals, the town has given the thumbs up - by not objecting.

The deadline for comments has now passed and only 33 letters of objection have been received by Suffolk Coastal compared with more than 250 to previous plans rejected a year ago.

One couple objecting strongly are Edwina and Bob Rust, of Manor Terrace, who fear the scheme will cause traffic problems, taking away 700 parking spaces at Wireless Green and replacing them with 261.

On-street car parking will be reduced by the creation of access points to the scheme, removing places on the road where residents park.

Mr and Mrs Rust say on Sundays there is already not enough space to park.

“Parking is a major concern and the whole area will suffer,” they said.

“On market days and sunny days it's already overloaded with just visitors' cars.

“If one then takes note of the intended increase of visitors it becomes obvious that there will be adverse effects for local people.

“There appears to have been little thought to the parking chaos that will be created. This will greatly affect our right to a peaceful environment.”

Ron Gleed, of Manor Terrace, said: “Car parking spaces will be considerably reduced in real terms causing chaos and gridlock at busy periods and inconvenience and frustration at other times.”

Bloor Homes and Suffolk Coastal have drawn up a scheme featuring a wide range of leisure facilities costing £2.4m aimed at families with young children, funded by building 158 homes.

A council report said none of development area was currently formal car parking and the scheme included two car parks for 261 cars for visitors.

“There are currently 138 spaces already in Manor Terrace car park, and 36 spaces abutting the site at the end of Sea Road. With the new plans there would now be a total of 436 spaces serving the area, which on the basis of over 200 car parking surveys undertaken on the site at peak times confirms that there would be sufficient parking for the proposed leisure uses,” it said.

Do you think parking will be a problem? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN, or e-mail EveningStarLetters@eveningstar.co.uk