HOW on earth can 3,500 new homes be built on the northern fringe of Ipswich without bringing the whole area to a standstill because of increased traffic?

That is the question that members of the county’s cabinet are going to have to grapple with today as they discuss the borough’s blueprint for the major new development.

There are concerns, I know, from people living near the northern fringe about the impact such a major development will have on the character of the area.

While I understand that, I also accept that eventually development of the area is inevitable – and if that is the case then it needs to be very carefully planned.

And the fact is that so far there are very few details about how the road infrastructure of the area will be adapted to take account of the extra 3,500 homes that will be built on the site.

The fact is that most, if not all, those homes will have access to at least one car – and they are likely to use those cars!

Henley Road, Westerfield Road, and Tuddenham Road are all very busy already and the prospect of putting more cars on these roads will fill their users with horror.

But it is not realistic to “ban” the new residents from using their vehicles or to try to set up traffic lights to hold residents on the new development while other motorists drive past.

And while it might be possible to catch buses or even the train from Westerfield to get to the town centre or London, what about those people living there who work at Ransomes, Martlesham, or Sizewell?

So far the issue of traffic has not been properly addressed.