Secretary of State decision means Lakenheath homes and school can be built

A decision to approve planning permission for new homes and a primary school for Lakenheath will go ahead the Secretary of State has confirmed.

Plans for up to 375 homes and a primary school at Station Road North, up to 81 homes at Rabbithill Covert, 67 in Briscoe Way and up to 140 on land west of Eriswell Road, had all previously been approved by Forest Heath District Council’s Development Control Committee.

But all four sites were referred to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government by a third party. That meant that planning permission was put on hold via an Article 31 Direction while the Secretary of State decided whether to call in the decisions.

The Secretary of State has now decided not to call these in and has withdrawn the Article 31 Directions.

In a letter giving notice of this decision, the DCLG said: “…The Government is committed to give more power to councils and communities to make their own decisions on planning issues, and believes planning decisions should be made at the local level wherever possible.

“In deciding whether to call in these applications, the Secretary of State has considered his policy on calling in planning applications. This policy gives examples of the types of issues which may lead him to conclude, in his opinion that the application should be called in. The Secretary of State has decided, having had regard to this policy, not to call in these applications. He is content that they should be determined by the local planning authority.

“The Article 31 Directions pursuant to the Secretary of State’s letter issued in relation to these applications are hereby withdrawn.”