East Suffolk Council
A new Local Plan for East Suffolk
We are about to start work on a new Local Plan. This will set out how and where development, including new homes, employment land and infrastructure, should take place up until at least 2044. The new plan will replace the existing Suffolk Coastal and Waveney Local Plans. The new Local Plan is anticipated to be adopted in 2029.
The new Local Plan will be informed by a range of evidence, assessments and the outcomes of public consultations.
The latest timetable for preparing the Local Plan is set out in our Local Development Scheme. The Government is introducing changes to the Local Plan preparation process which are anticipated to be in place before the end of 2025. A new Local Plan timetable will be prepared once the new system is in place.
To be kept up to date on the latest news or any public consultations, please join the planning policy and local plans mailing list.
Call for sites
Monday 20 October 2025 - Friday 9 January 2026
A ‘Call for Sites’, invites submissions of sites for a wide range of uses including housing, employment and other development for consideration for inclusion in the new Local Plan.
We will assess sites as part of our work preparing a new Local Plan. For more detail see our Call for Sites FAQ below.
Submitting a site does not guarantee it will be included in the new Local Plan or granted planning permission.
Further detail on the call for sites and guidance for completing the questionnaire
Sites must be submitted by 5pm on Friday 9 January 2026.
We would strongly advise reading our guidance note prior to starting a site submission
Submit a site |
Babergh District Council, Mid Suffolk District Council and Ipswich Borough Council are running separate call for sites also beginning on 20 October 2025. Details are available on their respective websites.
Call for Sites FAQ
What is the Local Plan?
The Local Plan guides development within East Suffolk for the next twenty years.
Why is the council undertaking a call for sites?
The call for sites enables the council to understand the land which may be potentially available for development. This will help to inform the evidence base for the new Local Plan.
How many houses will be needed in the new Local Plan?
The amount of housing to be planned for is set by the Government, through a formula called the ‘standard method’. As of October 2025, for East Suffolk this is 1,667 homes per year, but this is likely to fluctuate as new data that is used to inform the calculation is published. This figure represents around an 80% increase over our current Local Plans which together plan for 916 dwellings per year.
How much employment land is needed?
Unlike the local housing need there is not a single government formula to follow. The amount and type of land needed will be informed by evidence which considers the economic needs of the district. This evidence will be published at a later stage of the Local Plan process.
How are decisions made about whether a site is included in the Local Plan?
Determining which sites ultimately become allocated in a new Local Plan will be informed by a range of assessments including sustainability appraisal, the evidence base (in relation to a range of matters such as transport, infrastructure, water and landscape), consultation and the creation of a wider strategic vision and spatial strategy for the plan. An assessment of the sites will form part of that evidence. The site assessment itself will involve considerations of sites against a range of key constraints such as flood risk, environmental assets and infrastructure availability.
When will the decisions on sites be made?
We cannot give an exact timescale for this yet. The Local Plan process will involve public consultation, evidence gathering, and policy development. The current timetable for this work is set out in our Local Development Scheme and updates will be published regularly.
At this point in time the Government is introducing changes to the Local Plan preparation process which are anticipated to be in place before the end of 2025. A new timetable will be prepared once the new system is in place.
Who can submit a site?
Anyone can submit a site. The questionnaire will ask what your interest is in the site so you do not have to own a site to be able to submit it. If you do not own the site we would encourage you to speak with the landowner prior to submitting the site.
Do I need to submit any other documentation at this stage?
You will need to submit a plan showing the boundary of the site, details on what types of plans are acceptable can be found in the guidance note. It is not mandatory to submit anything other than the site submission form and a map of the site and your submission will not be disadvantaged if you cannot provide additional documents. However, any supporting documentation, such as existing surveys will be helpful.
How can I find out if a site near me has been submitted?
The sites submitted during the call for sites will be made public in due course. We will publish a basic map of the sites after the call for sites closes.
What type of land use can be submitted?
Almost any type of land use can be submitted not just land for housing or employment purposes. At this stage no decisions have been taken into what land uses will be allocated (other than for housing and employment land, which the Local Plan must plan for).
Can I submit comments about a site that I know is being submitted?
Not at this stage. There will be an opportunity to comment on sites during plan preparation, but at this stage we are only inviting site submissions.
What if my site was submitted in a previous Call for Sites?
Sites submitted previously but not allocated must be re-submitted through the Call for Sites for the new Local Plan to be considered - we will not be re-considering historic submissions. If your site is allocated in the adopted Local Plan there is no need to re-submit unless there are any changes you would like to tell us about.
I would like help completing the form
Please contact our Planning Policy and Delivery Team
I would prefer to download a form
We encourage submissions through our online portal. If this is not possible a pdf version of the Call for Sites submission form is available.