The Local Plan guides development within East Suffolk for the next twenty years.
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 will be in place from the end of March 2026. A new Local Plan timetable will be prepared and published shortly.
To be kept up to date on the latest news or any public consultations, join our Local Plan and planning policy mailing list.
Call for Sites
A call for sites was held between Monday 20 October 2025 and Friday 9 January 2026 and has now closed. This invited submissions of sites for a wide range of uses including housing, employment and other development for consideration for inclusion in the new Local Plan.
All sites can be viewed on the call for sites submission map.
Important information - please read before viewing sites
The map displays the sites' locations and the use proposed by the submitter (for example housing or employment).
We are not inviting comments on the sites at this stage. There will be opportunity to comment on these sites later in the Local Plan process. To be notified about future consultations, please join our mailing list.
No assessments have been undertaken and no decision has been made on which sites will be included in any future Local Plan, this map simply displays the submitted sites. It is important that we share this map early for transparency purposes.
The new Local Plan, including any future allocations, will be informed by a range of evidence, assessments and the outcomes of later public consultations.
The sites have no planning status (other than sites which are already allocated or permitted, in which case a submission does not alter this status).
Sites have not necessarily been submitted by the landowner - submissions were invited from anyone who wished to submit a site.
Existing allocations and permissions are not shown on this map.
The map shows sites submitted during the call for sites only, further sites may come forward through the Local Plan process.
Further detail on the call for sites and guidance
Babergh District Council, Mid Suffolk District Council and Ipswich Borough Council ran separate call for sites. Details are available on their respective websites.
Call for Sites FAQ
What is the Local Plan?
What if a 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 if the submitter wanted these to be reconsidered. If your site is allocated in the adopted Local Plan there was no need to re-submit unless there are any changes you would like to tell us about.
Why did the council undertake 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 can’t 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.
The Government has recently introduced changes to the Local Plan preparation process. A new timetable is being prepared reflecting these changes.
Who can submit a site?
Anyone can submit a site. The questionnaire asked what your interest was 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 encouraged you to speak with the landowner prior to submitting the site.
How can I find out if a site near me has been submitted?
A map of the sites submitted during the consultation is available.
Can I submit comments about a site that has been submitted?
Not at this stage. There will be an opportunity to comment on sites during plan preparation.