Plans submitted for 40 new affordable homes at site of former Forest Heath District Council offices in College Heath Road, Mildenhall

Plans have been submitted for 40 new affordable homes at the vacant site of former district council offices in a town.

Havebury Housing Partnership has lodged proposals to West Suffolk Council for the homes in College Heath Road, Mildenhall.

The land was previously used by Forest Heath District Council and also featured a Suffolk County Council library service and NHS clinic.

The offices were demolished in 2022 after the Mildenhall Hub opened, with the services in College Heath Road deemed no longer needed.

If given the go ahead, the new development would provide ‘100 per cent affordable housing’ and would consist of one, two and three-bedroom homes.

The existing entry off College Heath Road would be maintained due to its ‘good forward visibility’.

Design enhancements would be required to mitigate the impact of traffic noise and four areas of green space would be created around the existing group of trees.

A planning statement said: "The site is allocated within the council’s development plan for provision of residential land uses following the demolition of the former buildings, which has now taken place.

"The proposed dwellings are designed to ensure there is no detrimental impact on residential amenity with generous separation distances between plots and a well-mannered scheme.”

A design and access statement said the site is currently owned by Barley Homes, a subsidiary development company of West Suffolk Council.

"Havebury is seeking to acquire the site to provide an all-affordable housing development," it said.

A planning statement added the proposal would regenerate the site and the surrounding area, enhancing the appearance of College Heath Road and providing a clear sense of place.

West Suffolk Council was formed after the Forest Heath and St Edmundsbury councils merged in 2019.