The creation of a country park alongside a 3,500 home development in north Ipswich has been backed.

Ipswich Borough Council’s planning committee members called the plan "exemplary" after unanimously approving the appearance, scale, layout and landscaping elements of phases two-six for the Ipswich Garden Suburb country park on Wednesday.

Cllr Carole Jones, planning committee member, said it was an ‘exemplary’ plan, and added: “Its going to be so important to the 3,500 households who will be living in this development when it is completed, and to Ipswich more widely.”

Ipswich Garden Suburb is split into three neighbourhoods including Henley Gate, north of the East Suffolk Rail Line and between Ipswich and the edge of Westerfield Village.

The park will seperate the new development from the village and include hedgerows, woodland areas, wildflower meadows, off-lead space for dogs, a 10-space car park, walks and cycle paths, and landforms and land art areas.

The park will also create foot and cycle paths from the residential areas to Westerfield Station.

Outline permission for the park was granted in January 2020 at the same time as the first 1,100 homes to be known as Henley Gate.

The development of 3,500 homes is spread across the three neighbourhoods.

Work on phase one, which was approved in September, is due to begin soon.

A further planning application for the second part of phase six and phase seven is expected to be submitted later this year, which will feature a visitor centre, playground and more parking.

Karen Coulson, sales and marketing director at Crest Nicholson Eastern, said: “We are pleased to hear the news that the reserved matters planning application for the country park element of the wider Ipswich Garden Suburb has been approved at committee.

“Crest Nicholson are committed to building future-proof developments in which people love to live and the new 30-hectare country park – which will have over 2.7 kilometres of walking and cycling routes – will be a focal point for the new community.

“The park will be located alongside the new Henley Gate development which is the first of the three neighbourhoods that will form the Ipswich Garden Suburb.

“Once complete, Henley Gate will also include a new state of the art primary school and a local centre at the heart of the development for all to enjoy.”

As the country park straddles the border of Ipswich and East Suffolk councils, it is understood East Suffolk Council’s planning committee will also be presented with the plans.