Saxmundham

Local Plan outcome – we’re still waiting!

It’s now nearly 2 months since “Saxmundham Day” (5th September) at the Local Plan Public Examination of the district council’s draft Local Plan… We still await the Inspector’s report, saying whether he thinks the plan meets the legal tests of “soundness”.  As we have said on many occasions, as a Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group, we are not satisfied that the proposal for a 800 home “Garden Neighbourhood” to the south of the town and down to Benhall (Kiln Lane) is a good solution.   The Steering Group chair, Jeremy Smith, spoke on behalf of Sax Town Council at the hearing on 5th Sept, making the case against the district council’s proposals, while not opposing some significant growth in the size of the town – provided this was well connected to the town centre etc.

Our views as a Steering Group are borne out by the large majority of the people of Saxmundham; you told us – via the household questionnaire delivered in the summer to all households – that you thought all or much of the new housing (if of this scale) should be to the east of the town, not all to the south (now proposed to be between the railway line and the A12 bypass).

We now expect the Inspector’s report in December, following which East Suffolk Council will need to make any changes that arise from his recommendations, and it will come into effect (we anticipate) in the first months of 2020.