Controversial plan for 59 homes west of Ixworth Road, Thurston, near Bury St Edmunds, approved

Controversial plans for 59 homes in a Suffolk village have been approved despite objections.

Persimmon Homes was granted full planning permission for plans for 59 homes on land to the west of Ixworth Road, Thurston, by Mid Suffolk District Council today.

It followed a two and a half hour debate including a presentation from council planning officers, who recommended approval, questions from councillors and a statement by Persimmon.

The motion to follow officer recommendation was carried by six votes to two.

The proposals, which had been reduced by two homes from the original 61 to 59, includes 39 homes to be marketed, 20 affordable homes - six shared-ownership and 14 for affordable rent.

It is for phase two of a larger development, totalling 248 homes, and first granted outline permission in 2019. The first phase, known as College Park, to the north, has been completed.

A total of 124 objections, some of these from homeowners now living in the phase one development, were lodged by villagers against the original 61 home plan.

Cllr Julian West, from Thurston Parish Council, who spoke at the meeting, said the council still opposed the development despite amendments.

He said the council objected to the density and layout of the design and called for infrastructure improvements in the village to be completed before any further developments.

He said the village needed ‘real solutions’ rather than just Section 106 money collected from developers being ‘thrown’ at the village.

Mid Suffolk District Councillor James Patchett said the plan was inappropriate in an already ‘overdeveloped’ village with ‘creaking infrastructure.’

“These people just do not want any further development, but the [planning rules] rules are against what people want’.

Suffolk County Council had no objections subject to conditions and S106 obligations. These amount to around £1.5 million.

It said in a statement: “We are satisfied that the previously raised comments regarding footway access, traffic impact and development access and layout have been addressed subject to the following planning conditions and Section 106 contributions.

“Having further discussed and received information from the applicant regarding the outstanding PRoW and school access points comments, we are now also satisfied that these matters can be covered by planning condition and contribution where applicable”.

Mid Suffolk planning officers however felt that all planning obligations had been met.

The council said it had also worked closely with the developers in the design and layout to address the concerns of the parish council.

The report said: “Taking all these factors into account and after having regards to all material planning considerations the balance of judgement in this case overwhelmingly supports the grant of planning permission where the application is considered to accord with the development plan as a whole.

“No reasonable or sustainable ground/s for refusal can be identified.”

The report added: “Rapid residential growth without the necessary infrastructure to support is an issue for communities across the country and not just that in Thurston.

“This application includes a sizeable financial package of mitigation that will support amongst other things the expansion of education provision in the village, community facilities, highway infrastructure, affordable housing, safe routes to school and play facilities.”

The application was approved with conditions including confirmation that the plan would not exceed that agreed, agreements over CIL funding, the planned timescale, the sale of the houses and bin storage.

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