The threat to recreation space was the main concern for residents attending a public consultation into plans to build 2,000 homes in part of a seaside town.

Hundreds of Felixstowe residents were already present when this newspaper visited East Suffolk Council's exhibition for the North Felixstowe Garden Neighbourhood project at the town's Brackenbury Sports Centre on Tuesday afternoon.

And top of the agenda was the future of the 30-acre Eastward Ho! outdoor playing fields, bordered by the Grove woods, which are set to be surrounded by the new homes - with some being built on paddock land on the perimeter of the site.

READ MORE: North Felixstowe Garden Neighbourhood event on Tuesday

Flooding was another worry, particularly the run-off and drainage from the thousands of extra properties, with climate change set to create increasing amounts of rainfall, putting even more pressure on the drainage system.

An aerial view of the site in FelixstoweAn aerial view of the site in Felixstowe (Image: Google Earth)

Felixstowe resident Chris Ryan said a lot of people walked their dogs at Eastward Ho! but he feared the site was going to be "cut in half" by the development.

He added: "My main concern is about the facilities to go with all the housing. 

"We are not nimbys, we appreciate that housing is required, but we need more recreation space. We need more recreation space for people to walk their dogs, not paying to go to a squash court. We lose more of that with more housing, not less."

READ MORE: Fears about future of Eastward Ho! and Grove in Felixstowe

A new £25million state-of-the-art leisure centre is expected to form part of the development.

Walton couple Paul and Sherry Hamilton feared the Colneis peninsula, between the rivers Orwell and Deben and including Felixstowe, was being overdeveloped and wanted houses to be built on a grid system, rather than "circular" or "curved" roads to reduce the traffic impact.

Mr Hamilton said: "A lot of people have multiple cars. It is like a chicane to get through with parked cars blocking roads.

"I am just concerned about all the additional demand for housing on this peninsula flanked by the Deben and Orwell and North Sea. With too many houses and cars, the road system would not cope."

READ MORE: Felixstowe news

He also pondered whether the sewage systems would be large enough to take away the sewage from the new homes.

The new homes - set to be built over a 20 to 30-year period - will increase the resort's population by about 10,000 people.

The 345-acre site stretches from Gulpher Road in the north to the Dock Spur roundabout in the west and Ferry Road in the east.

A spokesperson for East Suffolk Council said: "We were delighted that over 900 people attended the drop-in event which provided an opportunity for the council to update local people on the North Felixstowe Masterplan.

"A number of issues were discussed, with councillors and council officers enjoying the chance to further explain proposals.

"The council entirely understands local concern about the scale of the masterplan, however this is an allocated site within the local plan which will form part of the long-term housing growth required over this 10-15 year project.

"The council was also pleased to provide reassurance about Eastward Ho.

"Despite previous concern that this important open space would be developed, this is not part of the proposal.

"Instead, four sports pitches will be either improved or provided, with the potential for a new cricket square and informal running track.

"A proposal for a new primary school would only reduce open space by approximately two hectares, however this would be mitigated in other areas with eight hectares of new woodland and 20 hectares of new natural and semi-natural open space.

"Local people are encouraged to read more about the proposals at www.northfelixstowe.co.uk and also take part in a survey which asks them to answer a number of questions and provide their thoughts on the overall scheme."