Trimley St Mary and Trimley St Martin have been under threat of large scale housing developments since 2002. There had been rumours that Trinity College, Cambridge,  had plans for the farmland and countryside that they owned, and our fears were confirmed when, in 2002,  they published their first “Vision”. After feverish protests the interest died down until 2004 when a revised “Vision” was published. Interest again waned until SCDC went through their process of updating the Local Plan, now known as a Local Development Framework - and the battle began in earnest, against the LDF Task Group rather than Trinity College.

Since the 1930’s Trinity College, Cambridge has owned almost 4000 acres of land on the Felixstowe Peninsula, which is mainly agricultural and countryside.

Summer 2002 : In the summer of 2002 Trinity College published their ‘Vision For The Future Of The Felixstowe Peninsula’, the core of which was a proposal to build an unquantified number of houses - estimated at 3000 - on greenfield land around the Trimley villages.

December 2004 : This “Vision” was scaled down, with an amended proposal to build between 1300 and 1500 houses around Trimley St Martin, as well as a supermarket. No further action has been taken by Trinity College.

There was widespread local opposition to these proposals - a petition, public meetings, the creation of this website, formation of Save Trimley Against Growth (STAG), and submissions by both Parish Councils opposing this ‘Vision’.

As a result of Government policy The East Of England Regional Authority decreed that from 2001 to 2021 Suffolk Coastal District Council needed to build an extra 10200 houses across the district.

January 2005 : Several STAG members had a meeting with Stephen Brown, Planning Policy and Implementation Manager at Suffolk Coastal District Council. STAG subsequently received an e-mail from Stephen Brown which showed the breakdown of housing needs to be as follows :

2004 : Suffolk Coastal District Council, with others, commissioned a consultancy exercise from David Lock Associates to examine the long term future of Felixstowe, with regard to housing needs, resort regeneration and economic regeneration.

April 2005 : The David Lock Report was published, in which they outlined four Options for the future of Felixstowe and its environs, ranging from “Do Nothing” to “Going For Growth”. Within each of the four Options David Lock Associates estimated the number of new houses that would be needed - the lowest number being to accommodate a “Do Nothing” requirement to accommodate changing population demographics, up to the highest figure resulting from a “Going For Growth” requirement to accommodate employment growth at the Port Of Felixstowe plus extra tourism, leisure and general economic activity. As part of their consultancy exercise David Lock Associates also identified a number of brownfield sites stretching from Felixstowe to the Trimley villages which would be suitable for housing development.

Spring and Summer 2006 :  The Local Development Framework Task Group, advised by Stephen Brown, deliberated the Regional Spatial Strategy to be adopted by SCDC. This deliberation included making recommendations with regard to the number of houses which needed to be “allocated” (basically, houses on greenfield sites) and where these “allocated” houses should be built.

They devised six Housing Options which were supported by six Tables showing how housing “allocations” would be spread across the District. These “allocations” varied with each Option, but each contained the same basic figures :

It can be seen that “Predicted developments on small sites” of 3980 units has been replaced by “Urban Allocations” of 2310, meaning that “Allocations needing to be made” have increased from 1800 to 3620 units.

In addition, it can be seen that no account has been taken of houses built in 2005 and 2006, or updated figures for outstanding planning applications and brownfield land identified by David Lock.

To aid the decision making process of the LDF Task Group a Settlement Hierarchy was prepared, which ranked every settlement withinn the District according to certain criteria. The two Trimley villages were designated as Key service Centres, whereby future housing developments would be limited to small scale housebuilding, within the village envelopes, to satisfy village needs only.

June and July 2006 : The LDF Task Group recommended the adoption of Option Six. This Option went beyond the year 2021 and increased the number of housing Allocations from 3620 to 4820 units, on the basis that “other Options would be unsustainable”. This Option would mean a requirement to build 2720 houses in Felixstowe and around the Trimley Villages up to and beyond 2021.

Note : It is probable that the LDF Task Group had every right to look beyond the year 2021 and “Allocate” extra houses, and there can be no legal objection to this decision - so long as the decision was made in good faith using the most accurate information available.

September 2006 : When the Option Six recommendation was published STAG produced a detailed report entitled “Response To SCDC Housing Options”. This was circulated to all members of SCDC Cabinet, all members of the LDG Task Group, Stephen Brown, Felixstowe Town Council, both Trimley village Parish Councils, John Gummer MP, and others.

November 2006 : SCDC Cabinet considered the Option Six recommendation made by the LDF Task Group, and rejected it on the grounds that a proper consultation exercise had not been conducted.

While there is a suspicion that STAG’s criticisms may have played a part in this decision, it must be pointed out that Cabinet made their decision in the knowledge that the Government had already rejected LDF Strategies submitted by other councils on the grounds of inadequate consultation.

February 2007 : The LDF Task Group published their Core Strategy Issues And Options Consultation Document, which set out a vision for the future of the District, and included six Options with regard to future housing needs up to 2021. This time, no recommendations were made, and no recommendations will be made until after a consultation exercise has been undertaken with stakeholders.

There are two exceedingly disturbing aspects to this Document :
One : There is a proposal that the Trimley Villages will no longer be designated as Key Service Centres in their own right, but as part of a Major Centre, known as Felixstowe And The Trimleys, large scale housing developments, in the form of estates, groups and infill, will be permitted to meet strategic needs. (see page 26 of Document Eight), and
Two : The same out of date historic housing statistics have been used to support the six Options For The Distribution Of Housing. (see pages 103 onwards of Document Eight)

March 2007 : Following publication of this document STAG made a Freedom Of Information Act Request to Stephen Brown with regard to updated figures for houses built, outstanding planning permissions, urban allocations and predicted windfall developments.

STAG submitted their narrative response to the LDF Task Group Core Strategy Issues And Options Consultation Document, incorporating these updated housing statistics.

June 2007 : STAG are awaiting the results of another Freedom Of Information Act request for SCDC’s comprehensive update of - houses built from 2001 to 1 April 2007, Outstanding Planning Applications as at 1 April 2007, and a survey of brownfield land available for housebuilding as at 1 April 2007.

From 20 June onwards the LDF Task Group has conducted themed meetings to consider various aspects of the Core Strategy in conjunction with consultation responses received. These meetings are open to the public. Richard Kerry, who represents the Trimley Villages, is a member of the LDF Task Group. He is also a member of Trimley St Mary Parish Council.

January 2008 : The final LDF Meeting took place at which it was decided that 970 new houses needed to be built on greenfield land on the edges of Ipswich plus 1620 houses on greenfield land on the Felixstowe Peninsula. In addition, to support these figures, two very crudely drawn maps with suggested “Blobs” were produced.  Both received considerable criticism from councillors who attended the meeting.

February 2008 : The 2 month consultation process commenced, whereby stakeholders were requested to give their preferences for the Blobs.

March 2008 : Felixstowe Town Council held a special Meeting to decide their consultation response. Mike Ninnmey (Lib Dem - member of the LDF Task Group) proposed a new development on greenfield land between Trimley St Martin and Kirton to support the housing needs of the whole District, with a potential for up to 4000 homes. There was almost no debate on this issue. The motion was seconded by Andy Snith ( Conservative - Chairman of the LDF Task Group) and agreed unanimously by every councillor, including those who had previously stated that either the Peninsula could not support 1620 houses or it would be wrong to vote on any proposals which encroached on land around the Trimley Villages. They also voted for Blob 4. Thus Felixstowe Town Council have voted for a potentially disastrous 5620 new houses on greenfield land on the Felixstowe Peninsula.