+ What will happen now the application has been submitted?

Babergh Mid-Suffolk will now reach out to local residents within Brantham to consult residents on Hopkins Homes’ application. Planning officers will then produce a written report on the application with a recommendation for the Council’s Planning Committee to determine the application. Decisions are typically made within 13 weeks of the applications submission but can take longer.

+ What are you doing about highways?

The proposed development will be served by a single point of access onto Ipswich Road. The access point has been selected in the proposed location to both maximise the visibility splays from the site, while minimising the need to remove vegetation to facilitate the access point. The site will also be served by a secondary emergency access onto Ipswich Road. The proposed development will extend and enhance existing cycle and footpath connections in Brantham by implementing an off-site footpath from Church Lane to School Lane. A full Transport Assessment will support the planning application to consider the likely highway impact of the development and the need for any mitigation works.

The Transport Assessment will cover the capacity and delay assessments of the following junctions:

• A137 The Street/B1080 Stutton Road - Priority Junction
• A137 Brantham Hill/Bergholt Road/A137/B1070 Bergholt Road - Roundabout Junction
• A137/ Manningtree Train Station - Priority Junction
• A137/B1352 Station Road/Cotman Avenue/ A137 Coxs Hill - Roundabout Junction
• Site Access Junction

The assesments include consideration to the Manningtree Station Junction.

+ Is there a need for new homes?

The emerging Local Plan for Babergh and Mid-Suffolk identifies areas in the district that can help the local authority to meet its need for new homes. Housing requirements in the Joint Local Plan Consultation Document 2017, states that in the adopted 2014 Core Strategy Babergh District Council needs to deliver 5,975 homes between 2011-2031 which was adopted under the 2012 Core Strategy Focused Review. Councils cannot simply carry forward these existing requirements. The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) states that Local Plans need to be up to date. Hence why Babergh and Mid-Suffolk are brining forward a Joint Local Plan.

+ Is the site allocated within the Local Plan?

The site land south of Ipswich Road (A137), Brantham, is identified as a potential residential development site under policy SS0185 in the Local Plan of Babergh and Mid-Suffolk Council 2014. Within the Strategic Housing and Economic Land Availability Assessment (SHELAA) which was published by Babergh and Mid-Suffolk Council in August 2017. The policy states that the site is potentially suitable for 250 residential units and open space. The policy also demonstrates that submission confirms the site could come forward by a developer which could be achieved in 0-5 years. There are no legal restrictions on the land. A consultation was recently held on the Joint Local Plan - Preferred Options (Reg 18) which closed on the 30th September 2019.

+ Is the application in line with Babergh Planning Policy?

The planning application will adhere to Babergh’s planning policy and consultation requirements. The proposed development is in accordance with all relevant local and national planning policy. The current proposal meets each of the criteria within Policy CS11, which is used by officers to assess the suitability of residential development on land adjoining Hinterland Villages like Brantham. The site has been subject to two separate pre-application consultations, in Summer 2018 and Summer 2019 respectively, with the principle of development deemed acceptable by officers within both consultation processes.

+ What are the principles guiding the design of the scheme?

The key principles guiding the design of the proposed development relate to landscape character and heritage assets. Long ranging views through the site will be incorporated, alongside an open space buffer to the south of the site and sensitive landscaping, to maintain separation between the proposed built form and the heritage assets to the south of the site.

+ Will the proposal take into account local heritage assets?

The proposed development seeks to preserve and enhance the significance of the heritage assets to the south of the site by opening up views through the site, and by maintaining an open space buffer between the proposed built form and the heritage assets. In response to advice received through pre-application consultation with the Council’s heritage advisors, the proposed development has evolved further to incorporate more organic views through the development to the heritage assets, while implementing a looser grain of development to the south of the site, to maintain the character of the southern portion of the site.

+ Is the drainage plan sustainable?

Intrusive site investigations have assisted in determining the most suitable drainage strategy for the site. Surface water drainage will be managed through a sustainable drainage network within the site, to incorporate a mixture of solutions, comprising swales, permeable paving on driveways and infiltration basins.

Sustainable drainage measures are proposed and will be designed to ensure the development can cope with a one in one-hundred year storm event with climate change allowance. A mixture of infiltration drainage solutions will be used on site, to ensure the best sustainability across the site. These will include swales, permeable paving on driveways and infiltration basins. Other SuDS features are also being reviewed with consideration to implementing additional SuDS features.

+ Will there be affordable housing?

Affordable housing will be delivered on site, with a mix of shared ownership, affordable rent and social rented units. The mix of affordable homes to be provided has been informed by advice received from Housing Officers at Babergh Mid-Suffolk Council.

+ What local infrastructure will be provided within the proposals?

As part of the proposals, there will be land gifted to create additional car parking spaces for the Church and Nursery, to alleviate parking congestion on Church Lane. The scheme will also provide a proportionate contribution to the future provision of healthcare and education services in the area.

The propsals allow for construction of an offsite footway on the south side of the A137 Ipswich Road, which will provide a connection from the development to the existing footway to the west of School Lane. This will provide a continuous footway to the village and primary school.