Plans for 18-holiday lodges at Mid Suffolk's largest tourist attraction has raised concerns it will "overload local facilities" and "harm" the character of the landscape ahead of a planning decision this week.

Planning officers at Mid Suffolk District Council has recommended the application by Stonham Barns is refused at Wednesday's development control committee meeting.

The planning statement for the project, put together by Phil Cobbold Planning LTD, said: "Stonham Barns is the largest tourist attraction in Mid Suffolk.

"It provides many local employment opportunities, encourages visitors to the district and provides a range of services which benefit the local community.

"The proposed development will enable the facility to improve the tourism and leisure offer at the site which in turn will provide economic, social and environmental benefits for the district in accordance with the objectives of sustainable development."

However, the plans received backlash from Stonham Aspal Parish Council, who objected to the project, saying that it "would overload local facilities."

The parish council added: "Traffic from these additional holiday units along with the proposed camping site would add to the traffic exiting from the site into a 60mph (50mph) stretch of road which is already a hazard.

"It would also add to the pressure on other busy and dangerous junctions along the A1120 such as the junction with the A140.

"There is growing pressure on the utility infrastructure and it is questionable whether there is adequate capacity to install electricity, sewage, water, drainage, broadband to more units on the site."

Crowfield Parish Council also objected to the plans, calling them "an ugly and creeping development."

Documents outlining the reasons for the recommendation of refusal for the lodges will be presented to the Mid Suffolk development committee on Wednesday.

The planning officer wrote: "The development would fail to represent good design, would not create a better place in which to live and work for the whole community of the area and would not improve the character and quality of the area.

"The lodges would be viewed as a stark man-made addition to the open and rural character of this countryside setting that would harm the character and appearance of the landscape."