Hargrave - Suffolk
West Suffolk is at an early stage in preparing a new local plan for the area. First steps in this process have included publication of a local plan timetable and scoping consultation in June of this year. A ‘call for sites’ consultation has also been undertaken to inform preparation of the new local plan. Sites have been submitted by landowners and developers for consideration for a range of uses including housing, employment, infrastructure, and green infrastructure.
In total we have had 328 sites submitted by developers and landowners, some of whom have decided to carry out their own public engagement about their sites.
Each site is now being assessed by West Suffolk Council in accordance with government guidance to understand if it is potentially suitable, available, and deliverable. We are working to publish a map including details of all 328 sites next month, and then our initial assessment of them in the autumn. This initial site assessment process does not make decisions about the allocation of sites in the Local Plan.
The outcomes of the scoping consultation and site assessments will inform the next stage of consultation on the local plan in 2027 which will seek the views of local communities on how new housing growth is to be distributed across the district over the plan period. There will also be a further public consultation scheduled for 2028 on a draft Local Plan for West Suffolk.
As you may have seen in the news last week, on Monday 7 September the Government announced that it was withdrawing its previous decision to create three new unitary councils in Suffolk. This is also the case in Norfolk, Essex and Hampshire. You can read more about the decision on the GOV.UK website.
While there is still a level of uncertainty about what this means for Suffolk, the Future Suffolk Implementation Board met last week and there is now greater clarity on the next steps, which we would like to share with our partners and stakeholders.
Firstly, we would like to thank everyone who has engaged with the LGR process to date. Over recent months, a significant amount of work has been undertaken by teams across Suffolk's councils, alongside partners and stakeholders from across the county. This collective effort has helped strengthen our understanding of the opportunities and challenges facing local government in Suffolk and has reinforced our shared commitment to delivering the best possible outcomes for residents, communities and businesses.
We would also like to reassure you that this work has not been wasted. The substantial work completed so far has generated valuable evidence, insight and learning which we aim to use to strengthen service delivery across the Suffolk system.
The work undertaken to date has demonstrated the strength of partnership working across the county. Regardless of the immediate position on LGR, we remain committed to working collaboratively with our partners to address the challenges and opportunities facing Suffolk.
What happens next
Although we now have greater clarity on the immediate position, there are still areas where further information from Government is required.
Devolution
While it is important not to confuse the two programmes, we recognise that many partners have questions about what these developments mean for devolution.
The message from Government is clear: devolution is continuing.
The Government has confirmed that recent developments relating to LGR do not affect the timetable for devolution and will be publishing a new White Paper on 'Rewiring the State' later in the Autumn.
We know that many of our partners and stakeholders will have questions about the future direction of local government in Suffolk. As more information becomes available and there is greater clarity on the next steps, we will continue to keep you informed.
The Parish Council publish a newsletter every few months updating residents of the parish councils activities.
The newsletter is delivered to every household in the village. Below is a link to the newsletter.
