"LEAVE our village alone" was the emphatic message today sent to developers wanting to build thousands of new homes on the Felixstowe peninsula.Villagers in Trimley St Martin made their feelings loud and clear as they packed a public meeting to voice their worries and give their verdict on the proposals.

"LEAVE our village alone" was the emphatic message today sent to developers wanting to build thousands of new homes on the Felixstowe peninsula.

Villagers in Trimley St Martin made their feelings loud and clear as they packed a public meeting to voice their worries and give their verdict on the proposals.

But landowners Trinity College, Cambridge, refused to accept calls to withdraw the plans – though they have said they would review the scheme to take into account comments made by residents.

Among those present to hear the views was the senior bursar of the college, Dr Jeremy Fairbrother.

Nearly 200 people attended the meeting, organised by the parish council to gauge local opinion, at the Memorial Hall last night.

When chairman of the meeting John Barker asked for a show of hands against the development, it was unanimous.

People said the project – which envisages using all the fields and open space between the A14 and Felixstowe-Ipswich railway line for development, creating greens and village centres, industrial area and homes – was overwhelming.

They voiced concerns over traffic, air pollution, and loss of open spaces and the village character of their community, as well as fears that no new services would be provided to cater for the development – such as health and education, extra police and firefighters.

George Harlow, planning consultant to the council, said the land allocated in the vision for Trimley St Martin would double the size of the village and – as the road changes indicated – would turn it into an urban area.

"The village would be overwhelmed – this project is too big and the houses which could be built far too many," he said.

Tony Osborne, of Mill Close, said: "We should not be talking about how many houses, we should just say we don't want it and it's far too much. Noise from the A14 is incessant now and the traffic will be unbelievable if this goes ahead."

Frank Bell, of Mill Close, feared house prices would tumble and called for compensation for existing residents, while Adrian Hatcher, of High Road, said the traffic calming proposed would not discourage people from going through the villages to reach the A14.

Villager Jeremy Newman said: "Trinity College does nothing for our area – it takes away our fields, our foreshore, and now it proposes huge development. When is it going to do something to benefit our community?"

Dr Fairbrother disputed this and said the college had done a considerable amount for the Felixstowe peninsula, on which it owns 3,400 acres.

The main benefit it provided was as landlord to Felixstowe port, helping the container terminal to grow, providing thousands of jobs for local people.

It also donated to and supported many organisations in the Trimleys, as well as protecting and conserving the landscape, fields, footpaths and bridleways.

He said the college would take on board residents' views but there was a long way to go with the development proposals. Ultimately, it would not be the college which decides – but Suffolk Coastal based on government allocations and requirements for housing.

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