I am a Trimley St Martin resident, and I live quite near the proposed development north of Heathfields in Trimley St Martin. Across Felixstowe, and in Trimley in particular, large areas of land are being built on by developers. Our town and villages are being sold off piecemeal to the highest bidders. Many of these developments are already approved, and residents have little power to challenge them. However, we still have an opportunity to protect Trimley St Martin from further overdevelopment...

Like many others in our village, I am deeply concerned about the proposed construction of 64 new homes on the land north of the Heathfields site, right next to the allotments. Based on both my own experience and that of my neighbours, this development risks creating serious and lasting problems that will affect not only our quality of life but also the character of our community.

Trimley St Martin has already experienced significant overdevelopment without the necessary investment in infrastructure. Hundreds of new homes have been built in recent years, yet local services have not kept pace. Our schools are at capacity and access to GPs and dentists is extremely limited - we don't even have a true village shop in Trimley St Martin! The addition of 64 more homes, and the hundreds of residents they will bring, will place further strain on already overstretched services.

The proposed development also raises serious concerns about traffic and road safety. The same site was rejected for development in the 80s due to inadequate access, and nothing has changed - if anything, the situation has worsened. Local roads are already under significant pressure from increased traffic and on-street parking. The plans suggest access via a single residential road not designed to support the volume of traffic associated with a development of this scale. This will lead to congestion, traffic, and a heightened risk of accidents. It also raises practical concerns about access for emergency and refuse vehicles. With potentially multiple cars per new household, it is unclear how safe and reliable access can be maintained for drivers and pedestrians alike.

As a disabled resident, I already experience difficulty finding safe and suitable on-street parking near my home due to this sort of congestion. This situation has worsened significantly following recent developments in the area. Additional housing will inevitably exacerbate these issues, and the planning application does not detail a proportional increase in on-street parking bays. This will only further reduce accessibility and safety for residents.

There are also clear concerns regarding safety infrastructure. Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service have indicated that the current plans do not meet minimum fire safety guidelines, including the provision of adequate emergency water supply. This raises serious questions about whether the development is being designed with appropriate safety standards in place.

Residents have already endured years of disruption from ongoing construction across Trimley and Felixstowe. Noise, air pollution, road closures, and increased traffic have had a cumulative impact on the wellbeing of the community. This development would extend the disruption for much longer, and continue the dismantling of the rural character of Trimley St Martin. Once a quiet village, it is increasingly being urbanised and absorbed into Felixstowe and Ipswich. The site itself too has been identified as having significant archaeological potential but has not been fully investigated, risking the loss of undiscovered heritage. The proposed site is directly next door to an existing allotment site; although I do not have an allotment at the parish Trimley St Martin site, I do have a plot at Cowpasture allotments in Felixstowe - I know many people use their allotments not only to grow produce but to encourage wildlife and pollinators to the area. A development of this scale right next door to the allotments will not only threaten the peace and productivity of the allotmenteers, but also the wildlife that many of us strive to support on our plots. In addition, recent developments have already had a visible impact on local wildlife, with habitat loss and increased road traffic leading to injury and death among animals. Further expansion will only intensify this harm to both our human and non-human residents.

Most residents are not opposed to all development. There is a clear need for genuinely affordable and social housing in Suffolk. However, developments of this kind too often fail to meet those needs as developers find loopholes and fail to meet targets, prioritising profit over people.

We must call for sustainable, responsible development that respects both the environment and the needs of existing residents - and if that can't be achieved, then we mustn't let this development progress. Please join us in opposing the proposed development on land north of Heathfields.

How you can take action NOW:
Submit a public comment via the East Suffolk Council planning portal: Public Access - Search for an application
Use the Reference: DC/26/1091/OUT

The deadline to submit public comments is Friday 15th May 2026 - make sure your voice is heard and help protect Trimley St Martin.

*Note: Currently some of the links to important documents on the planning application page appear to be broken (at least for me and others I have spoken with). I will chase the ESC about fixing the links this week.*