Plans for 40 affordable homes on land South of Melvin Way and Old Stowmarket Road, Woolpit, near Bury St Edmunds, take step forward

Plans for 40 affordable homes in a Suffolk village have taken a step forward - subject to conditions.

Minster Property Group want to build the homes on land South Of Melvin Way And Old Stowmarket Road, Woolpit.

The majority will be two and three bedroom houses but also include bungalows, as well as one bedroom and four bedroom homes.

The application was given outline planning permission in 2022.

It has however received 20 objections from nearby residents, including concerns over road safety in the vicinity for children and danger of flooding,

Woolpit Parish Council said it still wished to see plots 37 and 38 as bungalows to protect the privacy and amenity of neighbouring properties on Heath Road.

At Mid Suffolk District Council planning committee today, ward councillors, Jen Overett and Sarah Mansel, said they approved of more affordable homes in the village.

They also felt that residents’ concerns had been taken into consideration - with the layout amended and a mixture of tenure for the homes.

Cllr Mansel raised concerns about the future of nearby land after Suffolk County Council plans to expand Woolpit Primary School were dropped in favour building a bigger school at the nearby Hopkins Homes development.

Both councillors called for assurance that connectivity via footpaths would be assured as would any flood prevention and drainage measures.

Eight councillors on the planning committee unanimously gave officers the power to progress the plan subject to an assurance that all houses will be affordable and that a Section 106 agreement to help with local infrastructure is in place within six months.

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