County REJECTS Ganges Application

Suffolk County Council's report on the Outline Planning Application for the HMS Ganges site..

• Agenda (on SCC site)
• Report
• Appendices

Officers recommended that the County does not object to the granting of outline planning permission for 325 houses on the site subject to there being agreement with the developer on various issues.

The County Council is a consultee on the application, albeit the most important one. The final decision lays with Babergh District Council who are due to make a decision in the summer.

• Statement by Shotley Parish Council

Suffolk County Council Executive Committee unanimously opposed the Outline Planning Application by Haylink for 325 houses on the HMS Ganges site. Read the informal report of the meeting below by Graham Steel of Shotley Parish Council.

• Unconfirmed minutes (see item 7)

Informal report of the meeting

Suffolk County Council Executive Committee today unanimously opposed the Outline Planning Application by Haylink for 325 houses on the HMS Ganges site. It is recommending to Babergh District Council (who will make the final decision) that the site can only sustain a development of a maximum of 200 houses and only if improvements to the B1456 and other amelioration measures are carried out (largely those set out in the Committee Report and the comments below).

In the discussion Councillors made it abundantly clear that the current proposals were just not good enough and delivered nothing for the local community.

Whilst they felt that the technical assessment of the impact on the B1456 was satisfactory the development taken as a whole was inconsistent with the principles of sustainable development and contrary to local and regional guidance including the proposed number of affordable homes, the impact on the environment and conservation areas, increasing local employment opportunities and the lack of any tangible benefits to the existing community.

Councillors were clear, that with the right marketing, imaginative options could be brought forward that would respect the history and tradition of the site. They felt that Babergh lacks sufficient expertise in this area and officers and resources from the County Council will be made available to help them find an acceptable solution.

In summing up the debate it was said that this is a very special and unique site that demands to be a model of sustainability. The County was not interested in developers who buy up sites, stick the maximum number of houses on them and take the money and run.

Further information on the implications of this decision will be posted to you and on the web site as soon as we have them.

Thank you to everyone who made representations on this matter.

• HMS Ganges page

• If you have any views or queries, please email info@myshotley.com, or telephone 07845 875238.