Road safety concerns have led a parish council to vote against a controversial bid to build more than 70 new homes in the area.

Stradbroke Parish Council has unanimously agreed to recommend refusal to Mid Suffolk District Council for a planning application to build 40 new homes in the village.

The proposed development on land north of Westhall would see an initial 1.67ha of agricultural land developed into 40 new properties, with the potential for a second development to the east of the first for 30 to 40 new homes.

But, following a planning meeting, the parish council said it will not support the application, citing site accessibility and the location of the proposed development as the main reasons.

Odile Wladon, clerk to Stradbroke Parish Council said; 'We listened to residents' concerns and felt that the road leading to the site was not wide enough to cope with the increased traffic and the effect the development would have on the village's two play parks.'

Ms Wladon also said the location of the proposed development was not one of the five sites allocated in the parish council's neighbourhood plan, which had been specifically chosen to maintain the village's historic cross roads layout.

Residents have raised similar concerns to the parish council over an increase in traffic the new development would bring and the positioning of access roads close to a popular children's park, which recently received a £60,000 makeover.

Annabel Goddard, of Stradbroke, said: 'Our first and foremost concern needs to be safety. I believe that children's safety would be at risk with the access coming out opposite and then running along beside the park.

'The access road needs to be moved for the safety of our children.'

Sara Kingsom said the proposed access road onto Westhall was a 'wholly inappropriate suggestion' adding: 'This road is incapable of supporting the increase in traffic which the new houses would bring. The entire nature of the Westhall community would be compromised.'

Paul Marjoram question whether the infrastructure of the village could cope with the additional residents the development would bring.

The application will now be considered by Mid Suffolk council.