What is the Saxmundham Neighbourhood Plan?
The Saxmundham Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group is a community-led team made up of both Councillors and local residents. The Group has been working since 2017 to develop the Saxmundham Neighbourhood Plan which is a vision for shaping the town’s future, covering development, regeneration and conservation.
Neighbourhood planning is a government initiative that allows local communities in England to have a greater say in their area’s development over the next 10-20 years. Town and Parish Councils generally have limited influence in planning matters which are the remit of District and County Councils, or central government. By adopting a Neighbourhood Plan, Saxmundham can set out its own aspirations and priorities making use of local knowledge and input from the community. The planning authority then must consider the Neighbourhood Plan when making its decisions.
An additional benefit of having a Neighbourhood Plan is financial. The Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) is a charge developers must pay to the District Council when building within a parish. A portion of this is passed to Town and Parish Councils, and those with a ‘made’ Neighbourhood Plan receive an extra 10% which provides more funding for local infrastructure projects and improvements to address the greater demand.
How was the Neighbourhood Plan created?
Developing the Neighbourhood Plan has been a collaborative process, shaped by input from many people and thorough consideration of various issues.
Initially, the Steering Group wrote a draft plan, followed by consultation with local residents and businesses through surveys, meetings and exhibitions. Each comment and piece of feedback was carefully reviewed before refining the plan into a second draft which was submitted to East Suffolk Council for further consultation.
After undergoing independent examination to ensure it met legal requirements, a public hearing was held in January 2023 leading to further refinements. The final draft was then put to a referendum, where it was officially approved and adopted in July 2023.
Why does the Neighbourhood Plan need to be modified?
Saxmundham is currently facing two major proposals that present particular challenges:
- South Saxmundham Garden Neighbourhood: the District Council has designated land to the south and west of the town for 800 new homes and an employment area.
- Energy Infrastructure Projects: developers have identified an area to the north and east of the town, on the parish boundary with Benhall and Sternfield, as a potential site for possibly two 26-metre-high converter stations, each with large surrounding compounds and an access route wrapping around the town’s south and east.
While Saxmundham Town Council will be consulted on these projects, the final decisions lie with the District Council (for the Garden Neighbourhood) and central government (for the energy infrastructure).
The current Neighbourhood Plan does not include these proposals, as the Garden Neighbourhood site was originally outside Saxmundham’s parish boundary. However, following community consultation, the boundary was adjusted to bring it within the parish in 2023.
Recognising the importance of these developments, the Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group decided to modify the Neighbourhood Plan to ensure the community has a greater say in the design and connectivity of the Garden Neighbourhood and to secure additional CIL funds. The proposed employment area may also offer opportunities for negotiating compensatory benefits.
Additionally, modifying the plan allows the Group to introduce policies aimed at mitigating the potential impacts of the energy projects—should they go ahead.
These modifications are not an endorsement of the projects, nor do they indicate support from the Steering Group or the Town Council. Instead, they serve as a proactive step to safeguard good design, maximise community benefits, and put measures in place to reduce negative effects if necessary.
For more details on the Town Council’s position on the energy projects and our responses to consultations, visit our website here.
How can you get involved?
The modifications to the Neighbourhood Plan will go through a public consultation process and a community referendum later this year.
Stay updated and have your say by joining our dedicated Facebook group and visiting our website which for key information and announcements.
Update (June 2025): Read the modified plan and complete the survey
The public consultation is now live. Download the modified plan (changes are highlighted in yellow) and respond to the feedback survey. If you would like more information, supporting documents can be found on the Community Consultation page.
