Suffolk: Saxmundham plan's 'partial rewrite' for 800 homes

Planning examiner John Slater recommended that specific policies targeting the Garden Neighbourhood were removed from the Saxmundham Neighbourhood Plan, but suggested the proposals could be incorporated within the plan in a different way.

For example, rather than calling for cycle ways or footpaths to be included in the Garden Neighbourhood, there could instead be a more general desire in the plan for improved cycling and footway connections linking Saxmundham to Benhall.

The new neighbourhood is set to be built on land to the south of the town between the A12 and B1121 which straddles the boundaries between the parish of Benhall and the town of Saxmundham.

A public hearing was held to determine whether the neighbourhood plan, which specifies how development should take place, should apply to the whole development, including the section within Benhall parish. 

To complicate matters, East Suffolk Council is proposing to create a masterplan for how the Garden Neighbourhood should develop and the hearing therefore aimed to resolve a potential conflict between the neighbourhood plan and masterplan.

Cllr Jeremy Smith (Image: Charlotte Bond)

Saxmundham town councillor Jeremy Smith said talks were taking place between the town council and district planners to find common ground on how the development should take place.

He said: "My understanding is that the planning inspector felt that we had gone further than the existing policy allowed so he asked us to take out the bits that related specifically to the Garden Neighbourhood." 

The development is set to include around 800 homes, a new primary school, new employment space, a service station and a new roundabout off the A12 to access the proposed site.