Woolpit Neighbourhood Plan

The Woolpit Neighbourhood Development Plan (NDP) has been prepared by the Parish Council and local community and will be used to help guide and shape future development in the parish.

Reg 20 Formal Adoption (31 Oct 2022)

In an ‘out of meeting’ decision taken on Monday 31 October 2022 Mid Suffolk District Council have agreed to adopt ('make') the Woolpit NDP.

This NDP now forms part of the development plan and will be used to help determine planning applications in the parish unless material considerations indicate otherwise.

Previous stages...

Local Referendum (27 Oct 2022) 

A local referendum was held on 27 October 2022 to decide if the Woolpit NDP should become part of the Council's development plan. The count took place the following day.

The question asked was: "Do you want Mid Suffolk District Council to use the Neighbourhood Plan for Woolpit to help it decide planning applications in the Neighbourhood Plan Area?" 

Reg 18 Decision Statement (19 Oct 2020)

On 5 October 2020, Mid Suffolk’s Cabinet committee agreed that, subject to modification, the Woolpit NDP should proceed to a referendum. 

Reg 17 Independent Examination (final report 3 Aug 2020)

Mid Suffolk District Council appointed Janet Cheesley BA (Hons) DipTP MRTPI to carry out an independent examination of the Woolpit NDP. The examination was conducted through written correspondence and included a focused two-week consultation on proposed significant modifications.

On 3 August 2020, the examiner issued her final report. It recommended that, subject to modification, the Woolpit NDP meets the basic conditions and should proceed to a local referendum.

Reg 17 Proposed Significant Mods consultation (22 June to 13 July 2020) 

A focused consultation on proposed significant modifications to the Woolpit NDP took place between 22 June and 13 July 2020. The relevant issues were first identified in an Open Letter to the Parish Council dated 4 March 2020, and were re-confirmed in a letter dated 24 June 2020. Both letters are included in the Examination Correspondence Document

The proposed significant modifications included the deletion of policies WPT1 (Spatial Strategy) and WPT5 (housing allocation on land north of the primary school) from the plan. It was also proposed that policies WPT3 (Land south of Old Stowmarket Road) and WPT4 (Land east of Green Lane) could remain, but as existing commitments rather than allocations.

Copies of the written representations received on these matters were sent to the Examiner. 

Reg 16 Submission Consultation (16 Dec 2019 – 7 Feb 2020)

The submission draft Woolpit NDP was made available for public consultation between 16 December 2019 and 7 February 2020. The parish council (the qualifying body) had formally submitted the following documents:

An assessment on whether this NDP met he basic condition tests formed part of the examination. At the time of submission, our initial checks suggested that the relevant procedural requirements had been met. View our Regulation 15 Checklist

Respondents were also reminded that their comments would be forwarded to the examiner and, with the exception of personal details, be published on this website. 

SEA/HRA Screening & Determination (May 2019)

The pre-submission draft NDP was screened to determine whether a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) and/or a Habitats Regulation Assessment (HRA) were required. Both were 'screened-out'. The relevant report and determination notices are published below:

Reg 14 Pre-submission Consultation (1 Mar to 19 Apr 2019)

Consultation on the pre-submission draft version Woolpit NDP by the parish council closed on 19 April 2019.

Reg 5 Area Designation (4 May 2016)