Saxmundham

Saxmundham Town Councillors express serious concerns over District Council plans for the town

At a lively meeting held last Friday evening (31st August) in the Market Hall, Saxmundham town councillors joined  with some 60 residents in expressing concerns (or stronger!) to Suffolk Coastal District Council’s draft Local Plan, on which it is currently consulting.  (See our article  “1,000 new dwellings in Saxmundham? Let the District Council hear your views… by 14th September“).  The session began with Council Chairman Phillip Dunnett inviting members of the public to give their views – and all, in different ways and to different degrees, expressed opposition to the District’s plans, notably for 800 new homes in a new “South Saxmundham Neighbourhood Garden” that would cover all or most of the area from Saxmundham to Benhall, on both sides of the rail track.

Councillors discussed a draft written response to the District’s Plan proposals, and are due to finalise it at their next meeting on Monday 10th September.  The draft paper can be found and downloaded  here: Local Plan response 1st draft , but please note that it has NOT been approved at this stage, and will be amended in part to take into account points made at the meeting.  The key conclusions and recommendations set out in the draft response – before it is finalised, but with apparent broad agreement – are as follows (and can be downloaded here  draft conclusions & recommendations ) :

“Summary of conclusions and recommendations

Saxmundham Town Council considers that the town is well located to be a thriving retail, employment and service centre, for which it has strong locational advantages

We support further growth of the town, which will benefit its residents and businesses, and provide services for neighbouring areas

We consider however that the scale of growth proposed in the draft Plan for Saxmundham is excessive and not justified; it would involve the town growing by at least 50% in population over the next decade, and by around 60% from 2011.

Moreover, we consider that for one small town to be required to take over 20% of the total new homes for the whole Suffolk Coastal District is itself disproportionate and will have a negative impact on the overall character and environment of the town

We consider that the current proposals for a South Saxmundham Garden Neighbourhood are ill-conceived and excessive. 800 homes in this area may be excellent for landowners and developers, but is not shown to be in the interests of the town, for reasons set out below.  While treating  the whole area as a single entity, the draft Plan fails to provide any serious or guaranteed means of linking the two sides of the railway into a coherent and integrated development, which is the very essence of master planning.

Just as significantly, the draft Plan is based on apparent mistakes of fact as to land availability for development elsewhere, i.e. the larger site 435 to the east off Church Hill. This has been justified in two different ways – (a) that the land is not available for development in the lifespan of the Plan, which we understand is not correct; (b) that the land is less suitable on planning grounds than the south Saxmundham sites

Despite requests, we have not been informed of any planning assessments that give rise to the conclusion that the Church Hill site(s) would be less suitable than the south Saxmundham sites. We believe that there needs to be clear evidence based on proper assessment before a rational conclusion can be reached on respective suitability.

Moreover, we believe that there is or may be a strong case for a split development, with part taking place on the less environmentally sensitive area to the south which is west of the railway, i.e. close to the Free School area, and part on the land to the east off Church Hill. This would prevent the worst urban coalescence, enable the current Layers site to be preserved, and keep important ecological and other advantages.

We propose that the new housing requirement for Saxmundham for the next Plan period should be in the region of 400 to 600, which could be (we believe) accommodated in principle, and subject to detailed analysis of planning suitability, on the two sites (south/west of rail; east/Church Hill), to also include primary school and employment land.

We support the overall strategy for Saxmundham in the draft Plan, save as set out here in relation to the proposed South Saxmundham Garden Neighbourhood.”

Whether you agree or disagree with these points, everyone with a stake in Saxmundham’s future is encouraged to respond to the District Council by 14th September so that

You can do so by email: suffolkcoastallocalplan@eastsuffolk.gov.uk  

Or by post to: Planning Policy and Delivery Team, East Suffolk House, Station Road, Melton, Woodbridge, IP12 1RT 

You can also comment online from the interactive version of the document itself, at http://consult.suffolkcoastal.gov.uk/consult.ti/LPRPO2018/viewCompoundDoc?docid=10262676