A blueprint for future growth in St Edmundsbury – including about 6,000 new homes in Bury St Edmunds – will now be submitted to the Government.

Last night St Edmundsbury Borough Councillors voted to send the final versions of Bury St Edmunds Vision 2031, Haverhill Vision 2031 and Rural Vision 2031 and supporting documents to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government Eric Pickles and subsequent examination by the Planning Inspectorate.

The Bury Vision document includes about 900 homes between the Howard Estate and Fornham All Saints, about 500 at Moreton Hall, about 1,250 between Bury and Great Barton, about 1,250 to the south-east of the town and about 450 to the west of the town.

During the latest round of public consultation on the blueprint – which looked at whether it was “sound” and “legally compliant” – 311 objections and 84 responses in support were received in relation to Bury Vision.

At last night’s meeting of the full council some councillors spoke of their concern about a lack of consideration given to infrastructure.

Councillor Diane Hind said she did not feel it adequately addressed concerns with regards to “roads, transport and sustainable communities”.

Councillor Julia Wakelam said she would “particularly like to condemn the travel plan,” which she did not believe to be sound or legal.

She also criticised the final round of consultation, saying it was difficult to comment online and she knew some people who “just gave up”.

During public question time at the start of the meeting Ian Johnson raised the need for a country park in north-east Haverhill and Clive Morris said Tayfen Road in Bury needed to be “a little more attractive and welcoming part of Bury”.

During the debate, council leader John Griffiths, who said he was keen to see the development of the Tayfen Road area of Bury, added: “I think one of the problems and misunderstandings people have on this – this is an overall framework, it’s not detailed planning permission.” But he did say the county council’s highways team had a lot of work to do.

Councillor Dr Alaric Pugh praised the work the borough council had put into Vision over the last three years.

He said: “This is a comprehensive, holistic document that covers all of the different aspects of the ways we are trying to live in this borough.”

Councillor Terry Clements said: “I believe we have got this as well as we can at this point in time.”

Some councillors also raised the need for affordable homes.

It is anticipated a public examination by a planning inspector will be in the early spring of next year.

Written responses during the last public consultation will also be submitted to Mr Pickles.