Proposals for around 140 new homes plus a new primary school on farmland at Trimley St Martin have cleared their first hurdle.

Planners have decided that the project does not need an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) - cutting a huge swathe of work for the developers and clearing the proposal for the next stage of its planning permission application.

One of the main issues for officers at East Suffolk Council (ESC) had been the cumulative impact with other housing schemes recently completed and still in the pipeline, but they feel the roads and other facilities can cope with the 600-plus homes being built in the village, near Felixstowe.

Pigeon Investment Management wants to build 139 homes - 46 of them affordable properties - on 17 acres of land next to and at the rear of the Reeve Lodge sheltered housing complex in High Road. The land stretches to the roundabout with Howlett Way, where the old mushroom farm has been developed with 66 news homes.

The plans include land for a two-form entry 60-pupil primary school with pre-school estimated to cost £1.2million, and open space.

Rob Snowling, associate director of Pigeon, said: "The new homes will be a mix of apartments, detached and semi-detached homes but will be predominantly one, two and three-bedroom properties, in order to provide new homes that are affordable for both families and first-time buyers.

"The scheme will provide affordable housing in accordance with adopted planning policy."

Access to the school and new homes will be via a new spine road to be built by creating a fifth arm off the roundabout.

Construction would create temporary jobs, which ESC identifies as a positive benefit from the proposals.

Mr Snowling added: "It will also have a positive impact upon the surrounding area once fully constructed as a result of the incoming population helping to support and sustain existing services and facilities."

ESC says Trimley St Martin Primary School is operating close to capacity and so a new primary school with early years provision will be needed - and a contribution will be required from development of the High Road homes site towards primary school provision.