A vision for a new 1,250-home garden neighbourhood has been unveiled as a council looks to shape the future of the district.

With more than 9,000 new homes and 5,000 new jobs proposed in the Waveney Local Plan, which looks set to be adopted on Wednesday, March 20, a strategic development has been put forward.

The Beccles and Worlingham Garden Neighbourhood is described as mixed use including a residential development of 1,250 new homes, a primary school and a pre-school setting, a retirement community comprising a care home and nursing home, country park, indoor/outdoor sports facilities, allotments, play areas, local shops, community centre and employment development.

The plan states: 'This 221.9 acres (89.80ha) site is bordered by Ellough Road to the east, the Beccles Southern Relief Road to the south, M&H Plastics to

the west and the built up edge of Beccles and Worlingham to the north.

'The strategy for Beccles and Worlingham takes advantage of the benefits the Southern Relief Road brings by allocating a strategic development between the existing built up area and the road.

'This development provides a logical extension to the town that can be well planned with significant amounts of green space and supporting infrastructure and should be developed using garden city principles.

'Comprehensive planning of the site will promote contact with nature, healthy lifestyles and wellbeing for all through the delivery of substantial green infrastructure including public open space, a country park and integrated landscaping schemes.

'A development of this scale provides the opportunity to deliver a new primary school to serve the new development and existing homes in the area. 'Community facilities should be provided alongside the primary school including indoor/outdoor sports facilities, a community centre and retail provision to create a community hub.

'Open space, including a country park, should be provided on site. This should include equipped play areas, allotments and amenity green space.'

An outline masterplan has been prepared for the site. It states: 'Planning applications must support the delivery of the community facilities, access and utilities across the entire garden neighbourhood.'