A new Local Plan for East Suffolk

The Scoping Consultation is the first consultation in developing the new East Suffolk Local Plan, the results of which will help inform the content of the Plan and guide the methods we use to consult communities and stakeholders during the plan preparation process.

There are a number of other elements that influence the content of a new Local Plan. These include national planning policy and legislation, technical evidence and Strategic Environmental Assessment.

New and updated evidence will be needed to inform the new East Suffolk Local Plan, and this is anticipated to cover a range of topics such as housing needs, including affordable housing, employment needs, retail and town centres, flood risk, coastal change, transport, infrastructure needs, natural environment and landscape, and viability. 
The Scoping Consultation is accompanied by ‘East Suffolk Local Plan - Data and Background’, which contains background information that you can consider as you complete the questionnaire.

Following the Scoping Consultation the Council will be working towards ‘Gateway 1’ which marks the start of the formal start of the 30 month Local Plan preparation process. A comprehensive baseline assessment will be established by Gateway 1, including taking into account feedback from the Scoping Consultation.

Please note that this consultation focuses on the Local Plan preparation process only; it does not relate to planning applications, neighbourhood plans, or other types of planning consultation. The Local Plan will not be able to address matters that are outside of the control of local planning policy, such as nationally consented development (e.g. Sizewell C).

Yes, you can submit responses in different roles, for example as both a resident and on behalf of a business or organisation. But please ensure you submit a separate response for each and make clear which role you are representing in each response.

The purpose of the Scoping Consultation is to invite feedback on what the Local Plan should contain. We are particularly interested in your feedback on the different options for how future development could be distributed across the area. This will help to shape the vision and spatial strategy for the Local Plan, which will then be used to inform decisions on which sites may be suitable for development.

Should you wish to refer to a specific site at this stage, please include the site reference number which can be found on the map of sites. Please note that no decisions have been taken in relation to any sites at this stage. Further information on the call for sites and the published information accompanies the map and should be read alongside the map.

A Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) is an approach to testing the plan as it is prepared, to inform decisions on the plan. The Scoping Report establishes the framework against which the plan and alternatives will be assessed.

The council is required to consult the Environment Agency, Historic England and Natural England on the Scoping Report, but has published it alongside the Scoping Consultation. Should you wish to comment on the Scoping Report please email planningpolicy@eastsuffolk.gov.uk.

The Local Plan is the council’s main planning document and is used to help make decisions on planning applications.

East Suffolk is currently covered by two adopted Local Plans: the Suffolk Coastal Local Plan (September 2020) and the Waveney Local Plan (March 2019). These will remain in place until the new Local Plan is adopted, anticipated in 2029.

The existing Suffolk Coastal Local Plan sets out the framework for growth across the former Suffolk Coastal district over the period 2018 – 2036, while the existing Waveney Local Plan covers the area of the former Waveney district, outside of the Broads National Park and sets out the framework for growth across the former Waveney district over the period 2014 – 2036. Both plans comprise of a vision and strategic priorities, a strategy for growth including to meet housing and employment needs, strategies for major centres and market towns, site allocations, and development management policies on a range of topics.

The new Local Plan will replace the current adopted Local Plans and will cover the period from 2026 to 2045. The Plan will set a vision, spatial strategy and policies, including identifying new sites for development, to address the needs for growth and development over that time. There are a number of matters that the Local Plan will need to address, including planning for additional new homes, development to support the economy and employment, ensuring the infrastructure will be in place to support growth, and ensuring growth is planned appropriately to protect and enhance the environment.

The current Local Plans are now both over five years old, the Waveney Local Plan was adopted in 2019 and the Suffolk Coastal Local Plan was adopted in 2020. Since this time, following a change in national policy for calculating housing need in December 2024, the annual housing need figure for East Suffolk has increased by over 80% (1,658 dwellings per year as at May 2026) and primarily for this reason the existing plans have been identified as needing to be reviewed. The increase in housing figure has resulted in the council not being able to demonstrate a five year supply of housing land, and therefore unplanned sites may come forward. A new Local Plan is needed to provide a plan-led approach to meeting housing needs.

The Government has also introduced a new plan-making system and under this system we are required to start preparing a new Local Plan. In addition, there have been changes to national policy and legislation since the Local Plans were adopted, with further changes being introduced through a significant re-write of the National Planning Policy Framework.

Furthermore, there are also circumstances in East Suffolk, such as the development of Sizewell C, which should be taken into account in preparing a new plan.

The process for preparing the Local Plan is set out in legislation, and involves key stages which must happen in a specific order. 

The East Suffolk Local Plan Timetable shows the key stages.

The Government has introduced a new 30-month timescale for preparing Local Plans. There has not previously been a timescale set by Government. The Suffolk Coastal Local Plan and Waveney Local Plan each took around 3.5 to 4 years to prepare, and nationally in the past plan preparation has taken around 7 years on average.

General information on the plan-making process is available from: Create or update a local plan using the new system - GOV.UK

National planning policy is contained primarily in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). The Government is preparing a new NPPF which was consulted on between December 2025 and March 2026. The consultation can be viewed here: National Planning Policy Framework: proposed reforms and other changes to the planning system - GOV.UK. The final NPPF is anticipated to be published during the summer, and may therefore be published prior to the close of the Scoping Consultation. In the interim, Government guidance states that we should have regard to the consultation draft.

The new NPPF contains policies on plan-making, which will influence both the content and the process. The NPPF will establish the new 30-month timetable for plan preparation.

The new Local Plan should contain a vision, aims and objectives, a spatial strategy, the contributions expected from development towards affordable homes and infrastructure, and other policies where they support the delivery of allocated sites or address particular local issues. The new Local Plan is therefore expected to contain fewer policies than the current Local Plans, with a focus on location or site specific matters.

A key change in the new NPPF is new National Decision Making Policies. These cover some specific matters relating to a range of topics such as:

• The principle of different types of development within or outside settlements
• Mitigation of and adaptation to climate change 
• Affordable housing 
• Specialist housing 
• Business land and premises
• Town centres 
• Telecommunications 
• Renewable energy 
• Effective use of land 
• Design 
• Transport and access 
• Community facilities 
• Pollution 
• Flood risk 
• Natural environment 
• Landscape
• Heritage assets

Any policies in the Local Plan must not duplicate, substantively restate or modify National Decision Making Policies in the NPPF.

Under the new NPPF, Local Plans will only be able to set quantitative standards in relation to infrastructure provision, affordable housing requirements, parking, design and place-making and the nationally described space standard, and should not cover matters addressed in Building Regulations other than accessibility standards and water efficiency.

The NPPF sets ‘tests of soundness’ which the Local Plan will be examined against by an Independent Inspector. The Local Plan will need to satisfy the following tests: positive - by setting out a strategy to meet development needs; appropriate; realistic; consistent with the NPPF; and be in conformity with any Spatial Development Strategy for the area.

The NPPF also requires us to engage proactively and regularly with infrastructure providers, neighbouring authorities and other relevant bodies, and expects plan policies to align as fully as possible with those of other bodies. We are working closely with other planning authorities in Suffolk on the preparation of our Local Plans. This includes broadly aligning our timetables and working together on joint evidence.
 

The current two-tier council system in Suffolk which comprises of five district/borough councils and Suffolk County Council is being replaced with three unitary authority councils from April 2028. Elections to the new authorities will take place in May 2027. More information is available on the Future Suffolk website. Suffolk local authorities have been working together on local plan preparation to support a consistent approach and effective cross-boundary working ahead of Local Government Reorganisation and the creation of three new unitary authorities in April 2028.

Across Suffolk, local plan timetables have been aligned and the preparation for the scoping consultation (Regulation 20), the first stage of consultation in the local plan process, worked on collectively. It should be noted that the style of questions asked across Suffolk may vary slightly between authorities to reflect the priorities of individual councils.

The intention is that the outcomes of the scoping consultations will collectively inform the plan-making process and will be carried forward where possible into any new local plan boundaries that may result from Local Government Reorganisation.

Spatial Development Strategies (SDS) will set out a strategic framework for the distribution of growth and infrastructure. Where an adopted SDS is in place the Local Plan must be consistent with it. An SDS will be prepared for Norfolk and Suffolk.

Devolution will see the election of a Mayor for Norfolk and Suffolk in May 2028, who will have responsibility for preparation of the SDS. SDSs have recently been introduced and there is not currently an SDS in place covering Suffolk. In the interim, prior to the Mayor being in place, arrangements for the preparation of the Spatial Development Strategy are expected, however for the first round this will inevitably take place alongside Local Plan preparation and the government has advised Local Authorities not to wait for SDS production in order to commence or adopt Local Plans.

In December 2024, a new method for calculating housing need was introduced by Government. Under this method the current housing need for East Suffolk is 1,658 dwellings per annum (calculated at May 2026). The new Local Plan will need to plan for housing to meet the latest housing need which may change as new data is published.

Combined, the existing Local Plans seek to deliver an average of 916 dwellings per year and on average 795 homes have been completed per year between 2019 – 2025. The new figure is therefore a significant increase.

The new Local Plan will need to make provision for over 31,000 new homes over the plan period to meet this annual need. This will need to be addressed through a variety of sources, including new allocations and existing permissions and allocations not yet implemented. Existing permissions and allocations provide for just over 16,000 dwellings not yet built, meaning the new Local Plan will need to plan for at least 15,000 additional dwellings.

Until December 2024, the standard method was based on household projections, with an uplift applied to address affordability based on ratios of workplace earnings and house prices. The changes to the standard method replaced household projections with a calculation based on a 0.8% increase in housing stock and an affordability uplift that now has a greater influence on the numbers.

Yes. Together with the quantity required, local planning authorities must identify through a housing needs assessment what kinds of new housing is needed locally over the plan period. This includes:

• The size of homes (number of bedrooms) 
• Specialist types of home (e.g. homes for wheelchair users, sheltered accommodation for people that need care, student accommodation, nursing homes, and so on) 
• Tenure types (e.g. affordable housing for rent or purchase, Social Rent, or market housing).

The new East Suffolk Local Plan will also need to address the need for custom and self-build housing.  This is broadly defined as housing whose design and layout is primarily determined by the initial occupant.

Local Plans should include pitch targets for gypsies and travellers and plot targets for travelling show people which address the likely permanent and transit site accommodation needs of travellers in their area.

Whilst the planning system is ‘plan-led’, East Suffolk cannot currently demonstrate a five year supply of housing land to meet its housing figure, and therefore the ‘presumption in favour of sustainable development’ applies. This means that much greater weight is applied to the contribution to housing supply from sustainable housing proposals, in particular those that are sustainable but would be contrary to adopted Local Plan policies may be granted permission. This is explained further in our Interim Housing Position Statement.

A new Local Plan is needed to set a plan-led approach to meeting the increase in housing need figure.

Some communities in East Suffolk have developed Neighbourhood Plans for their areas. When a Neighbourhood Plan is prepared it must have regard to national policies and advice and not prevent housing development proposed in the local plan from taking place. Once ‘made’ a Neighbourhood Plan forms part of the development plan and has the same status as a Local Plan. Over time, policies in Neighbourhood Plans may become out of date due to changing national or local policies. The Local Plan does not need to be consistent with Neighbourhood Plans for the area, however there may be some policies that will be taken into account when preparing the Local Plan. Whilst there is no requirement to review Neighbourhood Plans, changes to national or local policy may prompt a review.  

Information on ‘made’ Neighbourhood Plans and those under preparation.

Supplementary Planning Documents contain important guidance to assist with the implementation of planning policies. East Suffolk Council has adopted 11 SPDs since adopting the current Local Plans. Under the new plan-making system, the ability to prepare SPDs is being removed and existing SPDs will no longer have effect once the new Local Plan is adopted.

Whilst a new type of document, Supplementary Plans, forms part of the new system, the remit of these is more limited to policies relating to sites, details of infrastructure and affordable housing requirements or design. We will therefore need to consider how to best ensure that important guidance continues to be in place, this may mean incorporating some key elements into the Local Plan.

Alongside the new Local Plan, the council are currently undertaking the East Suffolk Place Shaping project to inform place shaping and its approach to future guidance or design codes.

Whilst this work currently sits outside of the Local Plan, the findings of the first stage of work will help to inform place shaping matters which may be covered by the Local Plan or elements which may be better addressed through other means, such as design codes, frameworks or a Supplementary Plan.

A Call for Sites was carried out between 20 October 2025 and 9 January 2026. No decisions have been taken at this stage on any sites.

View all sites submitted

Determining which sites become allocated in the new Local Plan will be informed by a range of assessments and public consultation, including the creation of a wider strategic vision and spatial strategy for the plan. The site assessment itself will involve considering a range of key constraints such as flood risk, environmental assets and infrastructure availability.

The sites currently have no planning status (other than sites which are already allocated or permitted, in which case a submission does not alter this status). The map shows sites submitted during the call for sites, further sites may come forward through the Local Plan process.

Settlement Boundaries in the current Local Plans define the areas within which development is acceptable in principle. Outside of Settlement Boundaries the types of development that can take place are more limited. The existing Local Plans took different approaches – in the Suffolk Coastal Local Plan land allocated for development is included with the Settlement Boundary where the site adjoins a boundary, in the Waveney Local Plan site allocations are outside of the boundary where they adjoin. In reality the approaches are not significantly different as the principle of development is accepted on site allocations, for the purpose for which they are allocated.

The draft National Planning Policy Framework sets a definition for ‘settlements’ which the Local Plan will need to have regard to. This includes land allocated for development which would form part of the built-up area once the development is complete. As the new Local Plan will be identifying new additional sites for development, it is fully anticipated that Settlement Boundaries will be revised in reflection of this and any other relevant changes.

Developing on previously developed land (also known as brownfield land) is beneficial as it provides new uses for unused sites and reduces the need to develop on ‘greenfield’ land. However, by its nature brownfield land is usually more complex and costly to develop – such sites may often require decontaminating or other works before development can take place. Genuine brownfield opportunities are more limited than greenfield, and therefore focussing solely on brownfield sites would not be realistic.

One of the key themes of the council’s Strategic Plan is ‘Environmental Impact’. This includes a continued commitment to achieving net zero by 2030, supporting sustainable transport, focusing on reduction, re-use and recycling of materials, encouraging food self-sufficiency, and supporting, promoting and implementing green tech. The new Local Plan can help to address climate change by ensuring new development is located and designed in ways that protect the natural environment, support sustainable travel, and improve resilience to flooding and other climate related risks.

New development has a responsibility to contribute towards the cost of new infrastructure. Infrastructure is often funded by developers either through section 106 planning obligations or the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL). Consideration of existing infrastructure provision will help to inform the selection of locations for development and in some cases new development may facilitate new or improved infrastructure to come forward. The increase in the number of sites we will need to allocate for new housing development across the district may provide increased opportunities for improved infrastructure.

There are many significant electricity energy generation projects taking place in East Suffolk in respect of onshore and offshore energy. This includes projects such as Sizewell C, solar energy, offshore windfarms, and associated electricity network infrastructure. Many of these projects come forward as Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPS). NSIPs come forward through the Planning Act 2008 and so are outside the Local Plan process and applications are examined by the Planning Inspectorate before the final decision is made by the relevant Secretary of State, rather than by the Local Planning Authority.

Local authorities have an important role to play in the process by providing a local perspective on the proposed project, monitoring and enforcing the Development Consent Order (DCO) and discharging certain requirements (like conditions attached to a planning permission).

It will be important that the new Local Plan takes account of the effects of major energy projects on the communities, economy and environment of East Suffolk.