East Suffolk Council

Otley residents are being invited to have their say on whether the Neighbourhood Plan for their area should be used to determine future planning applications. 

In a referendum that will take place on Thursday 18 September, people living in the area will be asked to vote on whether East Suffolk Council should use the Otley Neighbourhood Plan to help determine planning applications in the neighbourhood area.  

Prepared by Otley Parish Council, the Otley Neighbourhood Plan outlines the vision for the future of Otley and sets out clear planning policies to 2036. The plan sets out to protect and enhance the key services and facilities within the parish to support the needs of future generations whilst also preserving the character of the parish. The vision for Otley is supported by a series of objectives. These objectives will be delivered through the Neighbourhood Plan policies, which are used to determine planning applications. Policies incorporate landscape and ecology, heritage preservation, local green spaces, climate change, design, services and business, transport, further education and community services.   

Once finalised, the Neighbourhood Plan will guide future development in Otley, and anyone involved in making or deciding a planning application in the area will be required to use it. 

Councillor Stephen Molyneux, East Suffolk’s assistant cabinet member for Planning and Coastal Management said: “We’re welcoming everybody living in Otley who’s eligible to vote to have their say on the Otley Neighbourhood Plan by voting in the referendum on Thursday 18 September. If you’re registered to vote, you can join residents in helping to shape the future of development in the area.” 

The Otley Neighbourhood Plan has been through public consultations and independent examination which found that the plan met all legal requirements, subject to some modifications. 

Following this process, East Suffolk Council has determined that the Otley Neighbourhood Plan should proceed to referendum.

Residents living in the neighbourhood area and who are registered to vote can vote in the referendum. 

Residents living in the relevant neighbourhood areas and who are registered to vote can vote in the referendum. Photo identification is required to vote in these elections. More information is available at: www.eastsuffolk.gov.uk/elections  

More information about the Neighbourhood Plan, including the examiner's report and the information on the referendum.

Copies of the Otley Neighbourhood Plan and information on the referendum is also available to view at Wickham Market Library or the Council’s Customer Services Centre in Woodbridge. 

If you have any questions about the Neighbourhood Plan, please call 01394 444557, email planningpolicy@eastsuffolk.gov.uk or write to East Suffolk Council, Planning Policy and Delivery Team (Neighbourhood Plans), Riverside, 4 Canning Road, Lowestoft, Suffolk NR33 0EQ.