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Babergh District Council has today welcomed the backing of the Inspector charged with examining its Local Plan proposals. The report of the Inspector supports all of the main elements of the Babergh Second Draft Deposit, including policies aimed at increasing the number of affordable homes built on new developments.
Babergh’s planners had inserted requirements that up to 35% of all homes built on new developments should be available for rent or shared ownership. The Inspector agreed that this should be sought for developments larger than 15 dwellings and/or of 0.5 hectares or more, where the level of local housing need supports this figure. 35% may also be applied to smaller developments, although these could be judged on a case-by-case basis.
The Inspector also supported Babergh’s policies to retain vital village facilities, to prevent inappropriate developments in areas at risk from flooding and to keep free the site of any potential future Sudbury bypass.
In terms of specific issues, Babergh received the thumbs up for its proposals for a mixed development of housing, employment uses and community facilities at Chilton Woods, near Sudbury, for a town centre supermarket in Hadleigh, the retention of the British Sugar site at Sproughton for employment uses and the use of the ‘IP8’ site at Pinewood for business development.
Rich Cooke, Babergh’s Acting Head of Planning Policy and Economic Development ,said “Babergh is pleased that our Local Plan has been given the ‘thumbs up’ by the Inspector. It has involved a considerable amount of work, including responding to the many thousands of submissions received form developers, parish and town councils, local groups and individuals.
As it stands, this Local plan will help Babergh achieve a sustainable balance between delivering an ambitious programme of new homes, including affordable homes, protecting and creating jobs and protecting and enhancing the environment”.
Babergh’s Strategy Committee meets to discuss the Inspector’s Report and associated changes to the Local Plan on 30th November, with the full Council considering it on 13th December. After that, it will be put out to consultation to parish and town councils, the general public and other interested parties. Babergh will only be able to consider those objections and comments that relate specifically to any proposed modifications to the Second Draft Deposit of the Local Plan or absence of modifications as a result of the Inspector’s recommendations.
The Babergh Local Plan is due to be adopted in late June/early July 2006.
Copies of the papers are available from Babergh’s Hadleigh HQ as of the afternoon of 22nd November.
Local Plan details can be found on Babergh's website.
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