Plans for 61 new homes in Ixworth Road, Thurston, near Bury St Edmunds, has prompted objections that ‘enough is enough’

An application to build 61 new homes in a Suffolk village has prompted objections that ‘enough is enough’.

Persimmon Homes wants to build the homes on land west of Ixworth Road, Thurston.

It is an application for full planning permission for phase two of a development to the south, totalling 248 homes, given outline permission in 2019.

But the application, submitted to Mid Suffolk District Council, has already received seven objections in as many days, from village residents. It follows a run of developments in the village in recent years, amounting to thousands of homes in total.

One resident from Victoria Close, Thurston, said: “Thurston cannot cope with any more houses.

“The preschool is full until 2025, the small rural roads cannot cope with the extra traffic, the neighbourhood plan hasn’t been adhered to at all and the increase of anti social behaviour is obvious.

“The village is bursting at the seams and enough is enough”

The full planning application for 61 homes, submitted on May 20, includes plans for open space and infrastructure. It consists of 14 three bedroom homes, 11 homes with more than four bedrooms, 10 two bedroom homes and four one bedroom homes.

It also includes affordable homes including eight with two bedrooms, nine with three bedrooms, and one with more than four bedrooms. There are also plans for four one bedroom flats.

Residents have raised concerns about the surrounding road network not being able to cope, the local infrastructure including access to schools and GPs, drainage and biodiversity, such as threat to wildlife.

Another resident from Thedwastre Road, said: “I wholeheartedly object to this application.

“The village has already doubled in size since I moved here 10 years ago with no improvement to infrastructure at all.

“The lanes are narrow, originally country lanes now carrying huge volumes of traffic.”

A study by the Transport Planning Associates commissioned by Permission Homes says: “Thurston has been the subject of a number of residential planning applications over recent years.

“The study, undertaken in October 2017, reviewed the cumulative impacts of five developments plus a smaller development, totalling 827 dwellings.

“In 2019 two further large applications were submitted for planning, proposing up to 420 dwellings (210 for each site) bringing the total potential development to 1,247 dwellings across seven sites.

“The Phase 2 development is to be build in accordance with local and national policy and guidance, with an extension of focus to active and sustainable travel when commuting within Thurston, building upon provisions detailed as part of wider applications, such as the Phase 1 developments.

It adds the proposed development is ‘well placed’ to use public transport provision within Thurston that enables access neighbouring settlements.

It states: “For the majority of the assessed junctions as part of this cumulative assessment, there was ample capacity to accommodate for an increase in traffic flows, especially those on a smaller scale like Phase 2.

“Where junctions were over capacity, such as the Fishwick Corner crossroads, it is important to note the context of Phase 2, which only presents a negligible increase in traffic flows and overall development scope to what was outlined in the wider assessment.

“Overall, this would ultimately not cause a severe impact or detriment to the junction capacity in and around Thurston, with only a negligible increase to overall traffic flows as a result of Phase 2.

“As such, there is no reason as to why this application should be refused on highways grounds.”

Source: Chris Morris for Suffolk News. Published: 28 May 2024