Opening day of planning inquiry over care village in Elmswell

The opening session of the planning appeal over a new care village in Elmswell opened today (Thursday, September 4) at the Blackbourne Community Centre and appears to have “limited” scope for villagers to comment on the plans.

It begun the first of a total of six days of the hearing at 10am with a draft timetable which includes a visit to the site. That is due to take place on the third day, next Monday, September 8.

There appears to be no provision for local people to comment on the plans over the period of the inquiry.

The rest of today featured discussions on possible flood risk and landscaping; tomorrow, which begins at 9.30am, again has landscaping and the developers; day three is the site visit plus comments on the heritage of the site and the developers; day four is the local planning team from Mid Suffolk District Council plus the developers; day five features more evidence about the site with the closing submissions on the day six, next Thursday, September 11.

The inquiry is being chaired by Hayley Butcher, a planning inspector appointed by the government.

The appeal has come after developers Christchurch Land & Estates (Elmswell South) Ltd had their plans for the project turned down by the district council.

The project was first revealed back in December 2023 which prompted a campaign by villages for rejection of the scheme.

The care village features 66 homes along with a further 36 bungalows and four almshouses on a large swathe of land to the north and west of School Road butting up against the railway line and the new development off Parnell Road and School Road reaching as far south as St John’s Church.

It would also feature a management office, club house, community growing area, an orchard and community bee hives.

The developers are appealing against the rejection of the project by the district council.

The scheme was initially refused on a number of issues and included creating “incongruous and discordant growth on the western edge of the village”, surface water flooding, development resulting in the loss of an area of open countryside and the change in character of the land from agriculture, the eroding of the historic setting of the Church of St John which is listed at Grade II, damage to the landscape and an “unacceptable impact” on the local infrastructure.

One person at the hearing said: “There appears to be limited scope for people from the village to be able to comment on the plans and it seems to be all cut and dried.

“There’s nothing in the timetable I can see that allows comments from villagers which is just crazy. Hopefully some may be able to have their say as the inquiry continues.”