An application to build two homes in Newbourne has been turned down by councillors because of the impact it could have on the landscape, despite support for the development from the parish council.

The proposed construction of the homes on a 1.2-acre site on Mill Road, in Newbourne, was rejected in a unanimous vote by East Suffolk Council’s planning committee south.

The main reason for recommending the refusal, given in the officer’s report to the committee, was that the development would not comply with policies around housing in the countryside and would harm the character of the area. These policies are set out in East Suffolk Council’s Suffolk coastal local plan.

Chris Blundell, Conservative councillor for Martlesham and Purdis Farm, said: “This area is adjacent to my ward and I know it quite well. There is a lot of building going on in the neighbourhood.

“I would like some restriction on development in the countryside, so I do not feel I am able to support this development.”

Consultation with Newbourne Parish Council, Suffolk County Council Highways and East Suffolk Ecology in May and June returned no objections. The parish council said it supported the outline plans.

East Suffolk's environmental protection department recommended implementing a condition for the unexpected discovery of contamination.

A spokesperson addressing the committee on behalf of applicant PA Taylor said: “The site is not in an area of outstanding natural beauty, and the proposal would be unlikely to have a harmful effect on the character and appearance of the site and its surroundings.”

The site is not located within a conservation area or area of outstanding natural beauty, but Newbourne is considered countryside for planning purposes.

The land is also part of the village’s former Land Settlement Association holdings, described as a "unique area" in the officer’s report.

The Land Settlement Association was a 1934 government scheme to re-settle unemployed workers from depressed industrial areas and provide work on the land.