A peninsula farmer has applied to formally create a cycle path between Chelmondiston and Holbrook.

The off road path is part of a phased development to build new homes in Woolverstone towards Freston, along with improvements to Berners Hall car, park a provision of more public open spaces and a range of landscape enhancements.

Geoffrey Mayhew is looking to include two two-bedroom social housing homes within the application for 22 new houses in total on land the family business owns on close to Harkstead Lane and on the left hand side of the B1456 heading towards Ipswich from Chelmondiston, although the sites are set back and will not be visible from the main road.

The houses will be a mix of semi-detached, one-bedroom, two-bed and three-bed cottages, on five different sites, built in a traditional Suffolk style using soft red bricks, and will also house swift bricks and bat boxes.

In a design statement submitted by Mr Mayhew's agent, Roger Balmer a design expert based in East Bergholt, it was explained that the development was required to secured funds for the farm business.

Mr Mayhew is a third generation farmer on the land, which the family bought in the 1930s and insisted it was important to the family that any development that might be achieved needed to be suitable to the needs of the village and also architecturally appropriate, given the high quality of the existing architecture of the village.

The statement added: "By nature of Geoff's role in the local community; being around the village for much of the day, and generally involved with village life, it was important to ensure that a carefully considered and detailed evaluation of the villages needs was undertaken, both spatially and demographically, to inform how any proposals would respond to this opportunity.

"The client was keen for there to be public benefit arising from the proposals, whereby there would be gains for the wider community as a whole, and not just the landowner – owning the majority of the land around the village gave the opportunity to offer up some rarely available enhancements."

The proposed cycle would be come in the form of two publicly accessible cycle paths running from Woolverstone to Holbrook in one direction, and to Chelmondiston in the other.

The agent added that this would provide a much-needed route for cyclists who would have a safe alternative to the fast and winding roads which currently link the villages. It was also proposed that the carpark area at Berners Hall be increased in capacity and an area of public open space be provided which would considerably improve the offering at the hall.

Further public benefit would arise from other landscape improvements, such as the reintroduction of ancient hedgerow and several areas of strategic planting and field margins which would improve the quality of the landscape both visually and also in terms of providing both enhanced and new wildlife corridors."

Mr Mayhew and Mr Balmer have held talks with Woolverstone Parish Council, and have also attended public meeting in the village to outline their plans. Pre-application advice was sought by Babergh council and specialists in cycle paths, highways, heritage, ecology and landscape matters.

Public consultation is now taking place until August 28 on Babergh's planning application website reference: DC/20/03247