At their meeting today (24 February) to consider Persimmon’s application, the SCDC Planning Committee have decided to defer their decision. The Councillors have listened to concerns from Kesgrave Town Council (Councillor Jonathan Ogden spoke for KTC), local residents and other affected parties and told Persimmon they need to come back with ‘bigger and better’ plans if they wish approval to be granted.

More information when we have it.

BBC Radio Suffolk will be at the SCDC Planning Committee meeting tomorrow (Wednesday 24 February) at the SCDC Council Chamber, Melton Hill, Woodbridge to provide coverage. Luke Deal from the radio station will be there from 8:30am. Suffolk Radio have already been in touch with Kesgrave Town Council. If there are any local residents who won’t be going to the meeting but want to comment directly to Suffolk Radio they can email them via radiosuffolk@bbc.co.uk (although they can’t promise your comments will be aired).

As reported in the Ipswich Star, the Planning Department of Suffolk Coastal District Council are recommending their Council Planning Committee accept Persimmon’s application for 300 new homes at Bell Lane & Longstrops. The Planning Committee meet at 9am on Wednesday (24 February) to discuss and decide on the application with Persimmon’s application 2nd on the agenda. This is a public meeting held at the SCDC Council Chamber, Melton Hill, Woodbridge and Kesgrave Town Council have already stated that the Town Clerk and a Town Councillor will attend the meeting and speak against the application. Hopefully a good number of local residents will attend as well to show support against the proposed development.

The recommendation by the Planning Department comes after a large number of objections from local residents and Kesgrave Town Council. It also goes against the Planning Department’s long-term plan to provide 2,000 houses for the area at Adastral Park although these plans have been delayed and delayed through actions of NANT.

The summary opinion from the Planning Department is:
‘Land to the East of Bell Lane, Kesgrave:The site can make a beneficial contribution to the delivery of housing development to meet the housing needs of the District. The development of 2,000 homes at Adastral Park cannot be achieved in the plan period. The completion rates that would need to be realised as a result of the delay in bringing the Adastral Park scheme forward would not be achievable and so the allocation of land to the East of Bell Lane, Kesgrave, will in part ensure that the required levels of housing development can be achieved in the plan period.’

This link is the agenda for Wednesday’s meeting and includes all the information the Councilors should be considering before making a decision.