Residents fighting a proposed homes development that would increase the size of their village by one-third have been heartened by support from their MP.
Dr Daniel Poulter, MP for Central Suffolk and North Ipswich, has said he “strongly opposes” the project for 300 homes on a 45-acre field on the edge of Debenham.
In a letter to Matthew Hicks, chairman of the Development Control Committee A in Mid Suffolk, Dr Poulter said he shared the concerns of residents, of which more than 300 have written objecting to the plans submitted by Taylor Wimpey.
He highlights the importance of Debenham’s draft Neighbourhood Plan, which while arguing against the plan for 300 homes in Gracechurch Street accepts the need for housing development in the village, and identifies three smaller sites suitable for homes.
In his letter, Dr Poulter said: “I hope, while applying all your usual diligence and rigour to this case, you will consider the overwhelming weight of local sentiment and, equally significantly, the range of well-considered arguments and evidence of legal precedent, as submitted by residents and echoed in this letter, and arrive at your decision accordingly.
“The people of Debenham deserve nothing less.”
The Suffolk Preservation Society has also opposed the Taylor Wimpey plan, saying “this large scale speculative development will materially harm the character of one of Suffolk’s most historic villages. We fully support the efforts of the Parish Council and the community in their drive to protect this special place by the preparation of a Neighbourhood Plan and the SPS calls upon decision makers to resist this deeply harmful and unsustainable proposal.”
Mid Suffolk District Council has also announced that it now has a 6.5 years of land supply for housing in place, which will complete the Local Plan and help meet government housing targets.
Taylor Wimpey UK Ltd has said a series of Place Shaping meetings had been held with district planners to discuss the principal of development at the site, and potential impacts, including landscaping, flooding, highways, community and education matters. Its vision is to create a sensitively designed and high quality place which complements the character of Debenham and helps meet housing needs.
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