• Home
  • Features
  • News
  • News Archive
  • Benefits
  • Business
  • Community
  • Elections
  • Council Tax
  • Environment
  • Housing
  • Leisure
  • Planning
  • Visitors
  • Waste
  • Your council
  • Contact us
  • Make a payment to East Suffolk Council
  • Legal and privacy statement
  • Make a payment to East Suffolk Council redirect
  • Web accessibility

East Suffolk Council

click for the homepage
mobile menu button

My East Suffolk  |  Contact us  |  Make a payment  |  Jobs

Twitter logo LinkedIn logo Facebook logo YouTube logo Instagram logo
Access local council information quickly and easily

Search
Home > Planning > Planning policy and local plans > Supplementary Planning Documents and other guidance

Supplementary Planning Documents and other guidance

Supplementary Planning Documents (SPDs) and Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG) provide additional guidance on matters covered by the Local Plan and are material considerations in decision making.

Skip to other guidance documents

Adopted Documents

Supplementary Planning DocumentArea covered

Healthy Environments (2024)

Supporting documents:

Adoption Statement
Consultation Statement
Habitats Regulations Assessment Screening Statement
Strategic Environmental Assessment Screening Opinion
Equality Impact Assessment Screening Opinion

East Suffolk

Custom and Self Build Housing (2024)

Supporting documents:

Custom and Self-build Delivery Statement Template
Adoption Statement
Consultation Statement
Habitats Regulation Statement Screening Report
Strategic Environmental Assessment
Equality Impact Assessment Screening

East Suffolk

Rural Development Storymap

Rural Development (2024)

Supporting documents:

Adoption Statement
Consultation Statement
Habitats Regulation Statement Screening Report
Strategic Environmental Assessment
Equality Impact Assessment Screening

East Suffolk

Coastal Adaptation (2023)

Supporting documents:

Adoption Statement
Consultation Statement
Habitats Regulations Assessment Screening Report
Strategic Environmental Assessment
Equality Impact Assessment Screening
Level A CEVA Form
Level B CEVA Form

East Suffolk (adopted 5 September 2023), North Norfolk (adopted 4 September 2023), The Broads Authority (22 September 2023), Great Yarmouth (adopted 9 October 2023)

Housing in Clusters and Small Scale Residential Development in the Countryside (2022)

Supporting documents:

Adoption Statement
Consultation Statement
Habitats Regulations Assessment Screening Report
Strategic Environmental Assessment
Equality Impact Assessment Screening

East Suffolk

Affordable Housing (2022)

Supporting documents:
Adoption Statement
Consultation Statement
Habitats Regulations Assessment Screening Report
Strategic Environmental Assessment Screening
Equality Impact Assessment Screening

East Suffolk

Sustainable Construction (2022)

Supporting Documents:
Adoption Statement
Consultation Statement
Habitats Regulations Assessment Screening Report
Strategic Environmental Assessment Screening
Equality Impact Assessment Screening

East Suffolk

Residential development brief for Land north of Union Lane, Oulton (WLP2.14) (2021)

Supporting Documents:
Adoption Statement
Consultation Statement
Habitats Regulations Assessment Screening Report
Strategic Environmental Assessment Screening
Equality Impact Assessment Screening

East Suffolk

Historic Environment (2021)

Supporting Documents:
Adoption Statement
Consultation Statement
Habitats Regulations Assessment Screening Report
Strategic Environmental Assessment Screening
Equality Impact Assessment Screening

East Suffolk

Recreational Disturbance Avoidance and Mitigation Strategy (2021)
Find out more about the Recreational Disturbance Avoidance and Mitigation Strategy

Supporting documents:
Adoption Statement
Consultation Statement
Habitats Regulations Assessment Screening Report
Strategic Environmental Assessment Screening

East Suffolk
North Lowestoft Heritage Action Zone Design Guide (2020)
Find out more about the North Lowestoft Heritage Action Zone project.

Supporting documents:
Adoption Statement
Consultation Statement
Habitats Regulations Assessment Screening Report
Strategic Environmental Assessment Screening
Temporary suspension of parts of the Statement of Community Involvement
Initial consultation
East Suffolk
SPG 5 - Nature conservation and designations map (1998) Former Suffolk Coastal area
SPG 7 - The location and design of small residential development (1993) Former Suffolk Coastal area
SPG 11 - Recreational floodlighting (1995) Former Suffolk Coastal area
SPG 12.1 - Newbourne - area specific guidance (1995) Former Suffolk Coastal area
SPG 12.3 - Saxmundham - area specific guidance (1995) Former Suffolk Coastal area
SPG 12.8 - Hi-tech cluster - Martlesham Heath (2001) Former Suffolk Coastal area
SPG 12.10 - Woodbridge Riverside planning brief (2004) Former Suffolk Coastal area
SPG 16 - House alterations and extensions (2003) Former Suffolk Coastal area
Broadway Farm, Halesworth development brief (2012) Former Waveney area

Sustainable urban neighbourhood and Kirkley Waterfront development brief (2013)

Consultation on the draft Kirkley Waterfront Planning Position Statement runs from 3 April to 8 May 2025. An initial consultation ran from 6 March to 3 April 2024.

Former Waveney area
Western end of Lake Lothing concept statement (2016) Former Waveney area

Back to top

Other guidance

Other guidance documents, produced by East Suffolk Council or others, are listed below. These have not been produced as Supplementary Planning Documents but may also be relevant in decision making. Also see Local Plan evidence base.

GuidanceDescription
Interim Housing Position Statement (2025) Was published in response to the latest National Planning Policy Framework and outlines East Suffolk Councils new 5 year housing land supply position.
Houses in Multiple Occupation ‘Exceptional Circumstances’ Guidance Note (2024) Guidance clarifying the application of the ‘exceptional circumstances’ test under Waveney Local Plan policy WLP8.4 (Conversion of Properties to Flats) relating to proposals for the conversion of buildings to Houses in Multiple Occupation.
Shopfront best practice guide Guidance for shops in historic towns including why design is important, works requiring planning permission and key features of a good shop front. 
Biodiversity Net Gain Interim Guidance Note Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) is a way to contribute to the recovery of nature while developing land. It is making sure the habitat for wildlife is in a better state than it was before development.
Cycling and walking strategy Helping to make cycling and walking in East Suffolk, whether for work, school or leisure, safer, more convenient and more desirable for all ages and abilities.
Environment guidance note Information on key environmental issues relating to the building industry, assisting those seeking to mitigate the impact of construction on climate change.
East Suffolk Play Area Strategy Identifies all known forms of play provision across East Suffolk. The Strategy includes an assessment of the quality and value of all sites, and identifies localised gaps and shortfalls in types of provision. The Strategy will help ensure that a planned approach to play provision takes place in East Suffolk, ensuring that communities have access to high quality, inclusive play facilities to support their health and wellbeing.
East Suffolk Leisure Strategy Provides evidence on local needs for new or improved open space, sport facilities, and equipped play provision, and East Suffolk’s priorities for its delivery. The Strategy seeks to ensure that new development provides healthy environments that support movement, play and wellbeing for all ages and abilities.
Suffolk Design: Streets Guide (2022) Provides design guidance on active travel infrastructure and placemaking for safe, healthy and accessible movement networks to support people to walk, cycle or wheel for utility or leisure. This document supersedes the Suffolk design guide for residential areas (2000).
Green Infrastructure Strategy (2015) Covers the former Waveney area and aims to improve green spaces and connections between them to create a network to benefit communities, wildlife and the wider environment.
M4(2) Checklist - Accessible and adaptable dwellings A checklist to help meet the requirements of Building Regulations Part M: Access to and use of Buildings, which impacts the design and layout of homes and needs to be considered at the early design and Planning stage of development.
Suffolk guidance for parking (2019) Ensuring that applications include an appropriate level and location of car parking and cycle parking provision and pedestrian footpaths and cycle routes.
Section 106 Developers Guide to Infrastructure Contributions in Suffolk (2012, updated 2014) Developers guide to infrastructure contributions in Suffolk
Design guidance for landing stages at Southwold Harbour (1997) Design guidance for anyone considering replacing or constructing a landing stage at Southwold Harbour.
Gosford Road, Beccles revised development brief (1998) The general principles of development expected in a redevelopment scheme at Gosford Road.
North Denes caravan site note on implementation (2010) The future proposed use of North Denes caravan site.
Woods Meadow draft development brief (1993) The general principles of development expected in a redevelopment scheme at Woods Meadow.

Back to top

Superseded Documents

DocumentArea covered
SPG 15 - Outdoor playing space (2001) Former Suffolk Coastal area

Open Space provisions and developer contributions (2012)

Superseded on 12 June 2024 by the Healthy Environments SPD

Former Waveney area

Development and coastal change (2013) and map of Corton to Lowestoft and map of Kessingland to Southwold

Superseded on 5 September 2023 by the Coastal Adaptation SPD

Former Waveney area

SPG1 Redundant Buildings in the Countryside (1991 and updated in 2004)

Superseded on 1 June 2021 by the Historic Environment SPD

Former Suffolk Coastal area

SPG 2 - Affordable housing (2004)

Superseded on 3 May 2022 by the Affordable Housing SPD

Former Suffolk Coastal area

SPG6 Historic Parks and Gardens

Superseded on 1 June 2021 by the Historic Environment SPD

Former Suffolk Coastal area

SPG 9 - Suffolk Design Guide for residential areas (2000)

Superseded in 2022 by the Suffolk Design: Streets Guide

Former Suffolk Coastal area

SPG13 Historic Buildings: Repairs, Alterations and Extensions (1997)

Superseded on 1 June 2021 by the Historic Environment SPD

Former Suffolk Coastal area

SPG14 Shopfronts, Signs and Advertisements (2000)

Superseded on 1 June 2021 by the Historic Environment SPD

Former Suffolk Coastal area

Affordable housing (2012)

Superseded on 3 May 2022 by the Affordable Housing SPD

Former Waveney area

Built heritage and design (2012)

Superseded on 1 June 2021 by the Historic Environment SPD

Former Waveney area

Renewable energy and sustainable construction (2013) and Planning Policy Position Statement

Superseded on 5 April 2022 by the Sustainable Construction SPD

Former Waveney area

Back to top

In this section

  • Local plans
  • Supplementary Planning Documents and other guidance
  • Open data, monitoring and housing supply
  • Planning policy consultations
  • Self Build and Custom Build
  • Contact us

© 2025 East Suffolk Council

Legal, privacy and cookies statement  |  Web accessibility  |  Contact us