Proposals for an 80-home 'care village' in Halesworth that developers believe could free up housing stock in the town have been revealed.

Cardinal Healthcare Properties has outlined its plans to build the new development on land north of Old Station Road to East Suffolk Council.

Planning documents revealed the village will consist of a mix of bungalows, houses and apartments, with a range of communal facilities also set to be built.

This includes a multi-purpose hall, activity area, café, physiotherapy unit and hair salon.

Residents living on-site would receive "flexible and adaptable" care and support services from professionals on a 24-hour basis.

The site of the proposed development is a short walk away from the town centre, allowing residents to access services such as the pharmacy, library and Thoroughfare shops.

The planning documents said: "The proposal provides for much needed assisted living accommodation and facilities in a highly sustainable location.

"The proposal will provide accommodation and facilities of the highest quality within a high quality environment.

"Local needs assessments are evidencing a shortage in this type of elderly accommodation across the county and particularly in Waveney, including the Halesworth catchment, where our independently commissioned needs assessment has concluded that there is a need for more than 300 new units.

The application comes several months after Castlemeadow Care put forward proposals to build a 54-bed care home on land off Norwich Road and Harrisons Lane.

Halesworth Town Council was opposed to those plans, calling the scheme "monolithic and overbearing" and too urban for the approach road to the market town.

Adrian Fairburn, of Cardinal Healthcare Properties, believed the creation of the new village would be popular with neighbours after consulting the community.

He said: "The application has been put in to address a real shortfall in provision in the area.

"We're really excited about it. It's hopefully going to do a lot for the Halesworth community.

"It will help people who are in need of this type of accommodation. In turn, that could free up housing for people in the town.

"The people that come to live in the development will get a comprehensive, wrapped-up service."