Dear Resident

MSDC Planning Application 1856/17, Norwich Road/Church Lane, Barham

This is a circular from Barham Parish Council about the major housing development at Church Lane, Barham.  As you are probably aware, there has been a planning application submitted on Barham, Church Lane for a large number of houses, which has been reduced to 269.  This includes a proposal for a primary school, doctor’s surgery and open space, though we have yet to receive confirmation that both the school and the health centre will be delivered.  The planning application can be found on the MSDC planning portal under application 1856/17.  This application is part of a much larger scheme of circa 700 homes which is being promoted in the emergency Local Plan for the District.

Despite our clear objections to both, the planning application has already been presented to Mid Suffolk Planning Committee with a recommendation for approval.  The application referred to a special ‘review committee’ within the Council with the Planning Committee stated it was ‘minded to refuse’.  This has not happened yet, but we should not assume the application will automatically be refused, by the Council or indeed an independent Inspector, if the application was appealed.

As time has passed since the application was submitted, we wanted to understand what the village thought of the proposals (see attached plan).   We also wanted to send a clear message to those who make the decision that new housing cannot be added on to the village without any new services and facilities.  We want to understand what services and facilities you think we lack and would be needed before developers are handed permission in the face of opposition from the village.

We ask that you kindly complete the questions, please click on the link below, thank you.

Planning-questionnaire-to-residents-November-2021.pdf