East Suffolk Council
Wickham Market residents to vote on Neighbourhood Plan
Residents in Wickham Market will be asked to decide whether the Neighbourhood Plan for their area should be used to determine future planning applications.
The Wickham Market Neighbourhood Plan was prepared by Wickham Market Parish Council and contains a vision for the future of Wickham Market and sets out clear planning policies to 2036.
The plan will be used by East Suffolk Council to help make planning decisions in the Neighbourhood Plan area. It includes policies covering the protection of landscape and important views, provision for wildlife, renewable energy and carbon reduction, local green spaces, the historic environment, car parking, pedestrian safety andcycling, walking and disability access. The plan also allocates land for development at Old School Farm and Simon’s Cross.
A public consultation for the plan took place last year, as well as an independent examination which found the plan meets all legal requirements, subject to some modifications. As a result, East Suffolk Council has concluded that the Neighbourhood Plan should proceed to a referendum.
Residents of Wickham Market will be invited to vote in a referendum on Thursday 12 October, being asked whether the Neighbourhood Plan should be used to help determine planning applications in the neighbourhood area.
Cllr Kay Yule, East Suffolk’s cabinet member for Planning and Coastal Management said: “Neighbourhood planning gives residents the opportunity to get directly involved in shaping their local area, determining the locations of new developments and providing guidance for what new buildings or developments should look like. I would encourage those living in Wickham Market to take part in the referendum on 12 October.”
Residents living in Wickham Market parish, including residents of the Wickham Gate development which sits outside the Neighbourhood Plan area, and who are registered to vote can vote in the referendum. Photo identification is required to vote in these elections.
Copies of the Wickham Market Neighbourhood Plan are also available to view at Woodbridge and Wickham Market libraries.
If you have any questions about the Neighbourhood Plans, please call 01394 444557, email planningpolicy@eastsuffolk.gov.uk or write to East Suffolk Council, Planning Policyand Delivery Team (Neighbourhood Plans), Riverside, 4 Canning Road, Lowestoft, Suffolk NR33 0EQ.