SUFFOLK COASTAL LOCAL PLAN incorporating THE FIRST ALTERATION This document contains planning policies and proposals to guide the future of the Suffolk Coastal District in the period up to 2006. It was adopted by the District Council on 27th February 2001. J G Schofield B.A. (Hons), MCD, MRTPI, Director of Planning & Leisure Melton Hill Woodbridge Suffolk IP12 1AU   SIGNIFICANT DATES 1970-1979     September 1979 Suffolk Structure Plan comes into operation       1980-1989     June 1982 Woodbridge Town Centre Local Plan Consultation Draft September 1983 Ipswich Eastern Fringe Local Plan Issues Report   1985-1989 Blyth Part 1 : Rural Areas Village Plans adopted as Interim Policy October 1985 Ipswich Eastern Fringe Local Plan Consultation Draft June 1986 Blyth Part 5 : Saxmundham/Kelsale-cum-Carlton Consultation Draft August 1986 Ipswich Eastern Fringe Local Plan adopted as Interim Policy August 1987 Blyth Part 3 : Framlingham Consultation Draft October 1987 Blyth Part 5 : Saxmundham/Kelsale-cum-Carlton adopted as Interim Policy October 1987 Woodbridge Town Centre Local Plan formally adopted January 1988 Blyth Part 2 : Aldeburgh Consultation Draft February 1988 First Alteration to Suffolk Structure Plan comes into operation June 1988 Blyth Part 3 : Framlingham adopted as Interim Policy October 1988 Blyth Part 2 : Aldeburgh adopted as Interim Policy March 1989 Blyth Part 4 : Leiston Consultation Draft October 1989 Blyth Part 4 : Leiston adopted as Interim Policy December 1989 Ipswich Eastern Fringe Local Plan (Review) adopted as Interim Policy       1990-1994     January 1990 Blyth Part 1 : Rural Areas compiled and adopted as Interim Policy April 1990 Felixstowe Peninsula Consultation Draft May 1990 Second Alteration to Structure Plan Consultation Draft by Suffolk County Council July 1990 Woodbridge Area and Deben Peninsula Consultation Draft October 1990 Felixstowe Peninsula adopted as Interim Policy December 1990 Woodbridge Area and Deben Peninsula adopted as Interim Policy December 1990 Blyth Local Plan Parts 1-5 reviewed and adopted as Interim Policy January 1991 Ipswich Eastern Fringe Local Plan reviewed and rolled forward February 1991 Second Alteration to Structure Plan submitted to Secretary of State April 1991 Suffolk Coastal Local Plan adopted as Interim Policy July 1991 Examination in Public into objections duly made to the Structure Plan October 1991 Suffolk Coastal Local Plan placed on deposit September 1992 Start of Public Inquiry into Objections duly made to the Local Plan December 1992 Secretary of State approves the second Alteration to the Structure Plan January 1993 The second Alteration to the Structure Plan becomes operative February 1993 End of Public Inquiry into objections to the Local Plan March 1994 Report of Inspector received May & June 1994 District Council considers the Report of the Inspector July 1994 Proposed Modifications to the Local Plan placed on deposit September 1994 District Council considers objections duly made October 1994 Proposed Further Modifications to the Local Plan placed on deposit December 1994 Suffolk Coastal Local Plan adopted by the District Council       1995 – 2001     June 1995 Adoption of the Third Alteration to the Structure Plan by Suffolk County Council. November 1996 Publication of First Consultation document (Topic Paper 1) on the First Alteration to the Suffolk Coastal Local Plan. December 1997 End of consultation period on Final Consultation Document (Topic Paper 13) on the First Alteration to the Suffolk Coastal Local Plan. February 1998 Suffolk Coastal Local Plan First Alteration becomes operative as interim planning policy. March 1998 Suffolk Coastal Local Plan First Alteration placed on deposit. November 1998 Start of Public Inquiry into objections duly made to the Local Plan First Alteration. March 1999 End of Public Inquiry into objections to the Local Plan First Alteration. August 1999 Part 1 of the Report of the Inspector, which dealt with representations made in respect of military bases, received. October 1999 District Council considers part 1 of the Report of the Inspector. February 2000 Part 2 of the Report of the Inspector, which dealt with all other representations, received. May 2000 District Council considers Part 2 of the Report of the Inspector. July 2000 Proposed Modifications to the Local Plan First Alteration placed on deposit. October 2000 District Council considers representations duly made in respect of the Proposed Modifications and resolves that one Proposed Further Modification be made the subject of further consideration. November 2000 Proposed Further Modification placed on deposit, February 2001 District Council considers representations duly made in respect of the Proposed Further Modification. Suffolk Coastal Local Plan First Alteration adopted by the District Council.   SETTING THE SCENE INTRODUCTION (i) This Local Plan for the whole of the Suffolk Coastal District, is intended to guide and control development for the period up to 2006. (ii) Over recent years the coastal area of Suffolk has experienced significant growth and change, particularly within the larger towns of Felixstowe and Woodbridge, the Ipswich Eastern Fringe and in the smaller market and coastal towns in the northern part of the District. Much of this growth has resulted from the uptake of allocations of land for housing and employment, which were made in the various Policy Statements in force within this area. This part of East Anglia is still under intense growth pressures, which will continue, particularly since communications with the South-East and the Midlands have improved over recent years, but further large-scale development would be inappropriate because of the potential damage to the character of the settlements and surrounding countryside. The Alde, Blyth, Deben and Ore estuaries together with the coastline itself form the Suffolk Heritage Coast, whilst the Felixstowe and the Deben Peninsulas lie largely within the Suffolk Coast and Heaths Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The significance of the particularly attractive and nationally recognised landscape within the Plan Area is further emphasised by the designation of the upper reaches of a number of river valleys as Special Landscape Areas. There are also expansive tracts of high quality agricultural land and areas of national and, in some cases, international importance for wildlife. The numerous settlements in the area, many of which are designated as Conservation Areas, have still largely retained their unique, individual character and identity, even though some, as stated earlier, have absorbed estate-scale housing development. (iii) The Plan has been prepared with a view to striking an appropriate balance between the need for growth and the need to conserve the unique environment of the District. Some new development will be necessary, particularly to meet the requirements identified in the Structure Plan. However, this Plan determines the scale and location of that new development, which must be sensitive and of an appropriate standard of design. That scale and location is identified in policies and proposals for the Towns and the Villages, including the defining of the physical limits boundaries for each. The land outside of these boundaries forms part of the Countryside, where existing land uses are intended to remain, for the most part, undisturbed. (iv) The individual towns themselves are assessed in respect of the need to protect their rich heritage and special character, or their function as shopping centre, employment centre or, in the case of Felixstowe, a tourist resort. (v) Elsewhere, the Plan addresses development and recreational pressures on the landscape, particularly the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, by formulating policies for its protection, and proposals for resolving conflicts and for enhancement. THE SUFFOLK STRUCTURE PLAN (vi) The Plan amplifies and applies in detail the policies of the Suffolk Structure Plan (Incorporating Alterations 1, 2 and 3) which became operative in June, 1995. (vii) The District Council's planning policies and proposals for the Suffolk Coastal area have been prepared in general accordance with those Alterations, particularly the housing requirements for the area, for which provision has been made. A schedule of Structure Plan policies is set out in Appendix 1. (viii) This Plan also draws upon Government advice, Circulars and Guidance Notes. These cover a wide range of issues and topics, but fundamental and common themes include: - the need to consider all proposals for development against the principles of sustainable development - the need to protect the Countryside for its own sake - the need for special control in sensitive areas, such as the Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Special Landscape Areas and Conservation Areas - the provision of designated areas, wildlife habitats, vulnerable species and sites of archaeological importance - the need to protect the best and most versatile agricultural land - the protection and enhancement of the rural economy by the encouragement of rural employment and by the retention of key village facilities, particularly village shops, public houses and post offices - the protection of the vitality and viability of town centres and the adoption of town centre strategies - the need to provide an adequate supply of housing to meet identified structure plan requirements - the encouragement of the provision of affordable housing - the need to encourage employment growth, particularly for small businesses, or in the interests of the rural economy - the encouragement of the use of modes of transport in addition to the car, particularly public transport - the encouragement of farm diversification. (ix) The end-date for the Local Plan is 2006, the same as that of the Structure Plan. It is anticipated that the Local Plan will be further reviewed, possibly within 5 years, and the end-date rolled forward to 2011. This second Alteration will be carried out against a subsequent Review of the Structure Plan. THE LOCAL PLAN PROGRAMME (x) The Local Plan was originally published in a number of parts in order to allow the public to comment on the policies and proposals likely to be included in it. The District Council considered all the responses very carefully, made amendments as necessary, and prepared the Suffolk Coastal Local Plan as it would wish to adopt it. (xi) The Local Plan was then placed on deposit in October, 1991 to enable the public and other interested parties to formally object to it. Those objections were considered at a public inquiry between September, 1992 and February, 1993 by an Inspector appointed by the Secretary of State for the Environment. (xii) The Inspector then reported to the Council, which considered his recommendations and proposed modifications to the Plan. These were placed on deposit in July, 1994. (xiii) In response to the objections duly made, the District Council proposed further modifications which were placed on deposit in October, 1994. (xiv) In the light of further representations, the District Council made additional, minor amendments to the Local Plan before adopting it on 15th December, 1994. (xv) The First Alteration was the subject of public consultation by means of a series of Topic Papers, published during 1996 and 1997. The First Alteration was placed on deposit in March 1998 for a period of six weeks. Objections which could not be resolved by negotiation were considered at a Public Inquiry which was held from November 1998 to March 1999. The InspectorÎs Report was divided into two parts. Part 1, which dealt with representations made in respect of military bases, was received in August 1999. Part 2, which dealt with all other representations, was received in February 2000. (xvi) Following consideration of the InspectorÎs Report, the Council resolved to make a number of modifications to the First Alteration. These Proposed Modifications were placed on deposit in July 2000 for a period of six weeks. Following consideration of objections received, one issue (Deben Mill) remained unresolved. This was the subject of a Proposed Further Modification which was placed on deposit in November 2000 for a period of 6 weeks. Following consideration of representations received, the First Alteration was adopted in February 2001. PREVIOUS POLICY DOCUMENTS (xvii) The following statutory plans were superseded by the Suffolk Coastal Local Plan: Statutory Plans Felixstowe Town Map, 1972 Woodbridge Town Map, 1971 Woodbridge Town Centre Local Plan, 1987 Ipswich Development Plan, 1960 (Part of Westerfield). (xviii) All other Local Plans and policy documents (eg, Blyth Local Plan, Ipswich Eastern Fringe Local Plan, Felixstowe Peninsula Consultation Draft) had already been abandoned. SUPPLEMENTARY PLANNING GUIDANCE (xix) Throughout this Local Plan there is reference to Supplementary Planning Guidance. As their name suggests, these supplement the policies and proposals contained in the Local Plan and are entirely consistent with, but do not form part of it. They have all been subject to appropriate consultation and adopted by way of a Council resolution. They are, therefore, material considerations when considering planning applications.