A huge project to build a 75-home estate, a new pre-school and a community hub featuring a swimming pool in East Bergholt has taken a step closer to fruition.

The new development would be built on land to the east of the Constable Country Medical Centre in Heath Road.

Developers say the new homes will go a long way to meeting housing needs in the area and also provide public service with a new community hub featuring a new swimming pool.

However, locals have long objected to the plans with East Bergholt Parish Council saying the plans are “unwanted”.

Babergh District Council initially approved the plans in February 2018 and developer, Hills Building Group, have now submitted all of the outstanding conditions that need to be met before work can begin.

These plans will be looked at by the council before they are either accepted or refused.

The development would see a 75 homes build including 17 affordable renting properties, four homes for shared ownership and three properties for key workers.

The develop also aims to be a community hub with a community centre which will provide locals with a new swimming pool, office space and local shop.

The developers said: “The development of Heath Road East Bergholt represents an exciting opportunity to provide a new extension to and additional community facilities for the existing village. The development will also provide high quality and much needed new housing for the area, a percentage of which will be retirement dwellings and school housing. It will positively contribute to the character and amenity of the existing village.”

However, the development has cause controversy along side a number of other new housing estates.

Locals have complained of over development of the village, with another 144 homes planned for Mores Lane and 10 new homes for over 55s next to Gatton House.

East Bergholt Parish Council battled the applications

They said: “While this application will solve a problem for Babergh District Council in terms of their 5-year housing land supply, it will create an unwanted development that is poorly related to East Bergholt.”