VILLAGERS today formally rejected landowners' proposals to build thousands of homes in their community – and sent a firm "we don't want it" message.Trimley St Martin councillors have listened to the views of their outraged community, heard landowners Trinity College, Cambridge, analysed the project put forward, and decided it should be binned.

By Richard Cornwell

VILLAGERS today formally rejected landowners' proposals to build thousands of homes in their community – and sent a firm "we don't want it" message.

Trimley St Martin councillors have listened to the views of their outraged community, heard landowners Trinity College, Cambridge, analysed the project put forward, and decided it should be binned.

The parish council has told Suffolk Coastal while it would still like scope for a few new homes in the village, large-scale housing would not be welcomed.

Vice chairman John Barker said the council had "fundamental concerns" about Trinity College's long-term vision to develop all the spare fields and open space between the A14 and Felixstowe-Ipswich railway line.

The council did see some merit in a new link road for Walton and wanted to see the proposed dock spur junction safety scheme, but the housing envisaged was overdevelopment and did not accord with the village's wishes for the future.

"We have to wait and see what happens next. But we have to demonstrate opposition to what's on the table at the moment," said Mr Barker.

"If we were to show any signs of weakness, the residents would be very upset."

In its seven-page submission to Suffolk Coastal on the Trinity College vision, the parish council firmly opposes any proposals to turn Trimley St Martin and Trimley St Mary into one village.

"The integrity of the existing parish boundary with Trimley St. Mary must be recognised and there should be a clear demarcation in any development proposals to indicate where one parish ends and the other begins," it said.

"The Trinity 'Vision' for Church Lane and Gun Lane would make a clear cut demarcation difficult, if not impossible, to achieve.

"The Trinity 'Vision' states that the two parish councils will remain. But that is not for Trinity College to say. Others might see no reason for the separation of the Trimleys if a clear and easily understood boundary is not apparent."

But the biggest worry is the scale of the proposed housing.

"A huge estate, for that is what it will eventually turn out to be, dominating the whole area with the number of houses, flats and other dwellings 'pepper potted' throughout the village will rightfully, in the minds of the present residents, completely overwhelm the village and bring with it a host of estate-generated, and other problems that happily the village is not at present subjected to," it said.

Trinity's proposals had "nothing to do with enhancing the local community's enjoyment of their surroundings but everything to do with getting as many houses, flats and other dwelling types into the village as possible" and would alter the village's character forever.

n Tonight residents of Trimley St Mary will have the chance to quiz Trinity College officials and representatives of their agents Bidwells at a public meeting.

Trinity's senior bursar Dr Jeremy Fairbrother and Tim Collins, partner in Bidwells, will be on the platform at the meeting in the main hall at the primary school in High Road at 7pm.

WEBLINKS: www.savetrimley.co.uk

www.trimley-vision.co.uk

www.trimley-st-martin.org.uk

n What do you think? Write to Your Letters, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN, or e-mail EveningStarLetters@eveningstar.co.uk