East Suffolk Green councillors have taken aim at Conservative MP Dr Dan Poulter after he criticised them for approving new homes in Framlingham.

Dr Poulter, whose Central Suffolk and North Ipswich constituency includes Framlingham, criticised the Green-led East Suffolk Council for approving a controversial 35-home development in Victoria Mill Road in the town.

But the Greens have hit back - saying that the decision to approve the development had been made last year by the former Tory administration.

They had merely confirmed the decision on June 1 once paperwork had been completed.

Council leader Caroline Topping said: “The new administration has absolutely no involvement in or responsibility for this decision and it is incredible that such an experienced member of parliament doesn’t understand this. 

East Anglian Daily Times: East Suffolk Council leader Caroline ToppingEast Suffolk Council leader Caroline Topping (Image: Archant)

"The planning application was presented to Planning Committee in November 2022 and the committee approved the application, subject to a Section 106 agreement being signed, which took place on 1 June.

“This process was merely a ‘rubber stamp’ and established case law that you cannot return an application to Planning Committee without changes in the application or policy to dictate that.

“I would suggest that Dr Poulter considers apologising for his error and also whether this petty, inaccurate political point-scoring is genuinely in the interests of the residents he was elected to serve.”

However the MP remained unrepentant - he said there had been changes to the application between last winter and June which would have justified a new look at it.

East Anglian Daily Times: Dr Dan Poulter stood by his comments about the development.Dr Dan Poulter stood by his comments about the development. (Image: Archant)

Dr Poulter said: “I make no apology for calling out the Green-run council for their decision to push ahead with a controversial planning application which was given the go-ahead by East Suffolk Council on June 1.

"There were serious legal questions over the advice provided to the planning committee and the Green council had every opportunity and sound legal grounds ask for a reconsideration of the planning application for Victoria Mill Road but instead they decided to give it the go ahead.”