Outline Planning Permission was granted by Babergh District Council Planning Committee for a residential development comprising 21 houses, including 7 affordable dwellings, on 30th August 2017.
The application proposed 21 new semi-detached and detached houses on a Greenfield site to the south-east of Raydon village. The intention is to provide a relatively low-density development of 1, 2 and 3 bedroom houses suited to this environment at the periphery of the village. Their arrangement would echo the local pattern of development and new planting would enhance existing boundary lines by adding a landscaping belt. The houses would be built to an appropriate scale using materials and finishes which reflect the Suffolk vernacular and typical estate cottage appearance.
The Planning Committee took the view against the recommendation of Planning Officers, that the site could be deemed a ‘sustainable location’. This view by elected officials supports what Suffolk residents inherently understand – that life in a rural context may indeed be a sustainable one, despite the dependency on a car. We congratulate the Committee Members on the foresight not to restrict necessary new homes in the countryside in a location where they can be effectively integrated into existing communities, and where they will have minimal impact on the countryside.
Thanks go to the consultants who work closely with Wincer Kievenaar who produced various reports and supporting information:
LSDP – Landscape Appraisal*
MHE Consulting Ltd – Ecology Survey
GH Bullard & Associates LLP – Flood Risk Assessment
AJ Energy Consultants – Energy Strategy
Gemco – Site Infiltration Testing
* site photo credited to LSDP