Suffolk village housing: Group raises money to fight school's building plans

Reydon Action Group for the Environment (RAGE) have raised the money to pay for legal advice

Villagers have raised £3,155 in a fight against plans to build homes on a private school's playing field.

St Felix School in Reydon, near Southwold, has won outline planning permission to build up to 69 homes on part of its site.

Reydon Action Group for the Environment (RAGE) have raised the money to pay for legal advice.

East Suffolk Council said the permission was granted in February, so it is too late for court action.

St Felix, a private school which has pupils aged from two to 18, has been approached by the BBC for comment.

The next stage is that detailed plans for homes to be built on the 2.47 hectare (6 acre) site, which includes playing fields and woodland, will be submitted to East Suffolk Council

RAGE believe Waveney District Council, which is now part of East Suffolk Council, was wrong to grant permission.

The next stage is for detailed plans for the 2.47 hectare (6 acre) site, which includes playing fields and woodland, to be submitted to East Suffolk Council.

RAGE said it aimed to fight the plans and had raised money for possible future legal challenges.

Stephen Chessher, chairman of RAGE, was concerned the new homes would mean the loss of "a cherished Suffolk landscape" in the village, which is next to the seaside town of Southwold.

"As well as the environmental and wildlife issues... one of the other major concerns that has upset local people is the likelihood that if the housing development goes ahead, most of the houses built will end up as holiday or second homes which will do nothing to address local housing issues," he said.

St Felix School in Reydon, near Southwold, has won outline planning permission to build up to 69 homes on part of its site

He said legal advice from a barrister suggested the group had an arguable case in court over the outline permission, but they had decided to fight against the detailed planning application before going to the courts.

David Beavan, Liberal Democrat councillor for Reydon at East Suffolk, said: "This proposal does not provide social benefit to compensate us for the loss of playing fields and open space in an environmentally sensitive area.

"Poor planning process has inevitably led to a poor planning decision, and it must be put right."