FRUSTRATED campaigners are banding together in a show of solidarity to protect Hadleigh against the threat of 2,500 new homes in the town centre and on green belt land.

Castle Point Council has spearheaded a consultation over potential sites for housing to be included in its new local plan but residents in Hadleigh are “up in arms”.

Leaflets have been delivered to residents across the town and former councillor Jacqui Thornton claims consultation forms are “flying off the shelves” at the library.

The consultation has revealed 19 “urban sites” listed for potential development in Hadleigh, including Lidl and Morrisons in London Road, Hadleigh Clinic, the bus depot, Castle Lane car park, and the Conservative Club. Residents also fear that Salvation Army farmland could be included in the plan.

Castle Point Council has repeatedly stressed no decisions have been made on locations and urged residents to have their say through the consultation.

Hadleigh resident, Kate Pagram, said: “I definitely feel people are getting frustrated. People are becoming more involved, not just holding up banners about protecting the green belt. It feels like our lives are going to be affected.

“We live in a nice place and people living here in the future would be lucky to live here but it can’t be to the detriment of the residents already living here. So many locations have been put in that have really riled people up. A lot of this is worst case scenario but a lot comes down to the green belt and at the end of the day, so you want badgers and foxes or homes?”

Former Hadleigh Tory councillor Ms Thornton added: “People are worried, they have got up in arms about it and I am not surprised, I was in the library and all the chat was about the local plan and the librarians said the consultation forms are flying off the shelves.”

Warren Gibson, deputy leader and councillor responsible for strategic planning, said: “The purpose of the ongoing widespread engagement is to ensure that residents have the opportunity to comment on all the potential development sites that could be considered in preparing the Castle Point Plan.

“No decisions have been made about any of the sites.

“If residents have any concerns about potential development sites, we encourage them to take part in the engagement process.”