VILLAGERS are feeling despondent today after the go-ahead was given to a development which they say will reduce the size of their gardens.Residents of Brantham are upset at plans to create six new houses and bungalows on land in the village.

Rebecca Lefort

VILLAGERS are feeling despondent today after the go-ahead was given to a development which they say will reduce the size of their gardens.

Residents of Brantham are upset at plans to create six new houses and bungalows on land in the village.

Babergh District Council's development committee gave the thumbs up to the proposals for the affordable-housing development on land next to Palfrey Heights, Sycamore Way and Brantham Hill last week.

Joan Lawrance, who has lived in her Brantham Hill home with her husband Charles for more than half a decade, said: “The whole of the hill is devastated. We knew all along this would happen but I'm going to miss my garden.”

Mrs Lawrance said she would be particularly sad to say goodbye to her raspberry and blackberry plants which are in the back of her garden in land owned by Babergh District Council and used by the couple for a peppercorn rent.

However Ian Tippett, Babergh's housing services manager, said he was pleased that the development had been approved after the council pledged to create 700 new affordable homes, or have them in the pipeline, by 2009/10.

He added: "We understand the concerns of some residents and already have plans in place for representatives to visit everyone on Brantham Hill affected by this much-needed development of affordable homes to talk through any problems that could arise.”

The new homes, once built, will be available for affordable rent restricted to families on Babergh's common housing register, and with a connection to Brantham.

Should more affordable housing be built where you live? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich IP4 1AN or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk.