POPULATION EXPLOSION IN ELMSWELL…….. …… BUT WHAT IS THE PLAN?

We know that Elmswell is one of the largest villages in Suffolk. Its popularity is due to easy access to the A14 with normally quick routes to Bury St Edmunds to the West and Ipswich to the East.

Over many hundreds of years it has attracted people from the North, South, East and West of the UK. With a railway station, fair sized

CO-OP,  a new petrol service station and many other facilities, except of course for a Post Office which sadly closed recently, it is now growing at an exceptional pace.

What we don’t really know is what is the long term plan for the village. The village has grown in population by nearly 60% since the 2001 census which showed the village as having 3359 residents, 2011 census, 3950 residents, 2021 census, 4451 followed by an estimate from the Office of National Statistics in June 2024 that the population had grown to 5364.

That is a lot of people and of course a lot more cars.

Does anybody have an idea of the real long term plan? A peek in the Local Plan circa 2023  suggests a plan for an additional 3000 residents by 2025.

Recently talking with the Parish Council representative doesn’t really give us any more guidance on what to expect but further investigations prove very interesting.

While Elmswell does not have a single fixed population target in isolation, its growth is governed by the Mid Suffolk District Council Joint Local Plan, which designates Elmswell as a Core Village suited for significant development.

While there is no single, widely publicised maximum target figure, the village has been designated as a CS3 village by Suffolk County Council, identifying it as a primary location for further development due to its infrastructure, such as the railway station and services.

Current population data and growth trajectories include:

● Current Population: As of mid-2024, the population of Elmswell parish is estimated at 5,364, representing a 5.9% annual increase since 2021.

● District-Wide Growth: Mid Suffolk as a whole is forecast to grow by approximately 9,300 people (9.2%) by 2036. Elmswell, alongside Thurston and Woolpit, is a focal point for this expansion due to its railway station and sustainable infrastructure.

● Housing Requirements:

The local planning strategy identifies Elmswell as a primary location for delivering the districts minimum housing requirements through 2027 and beyond. Recent Babergh & Mid Suffolk Briefing Packs indicate that specific housing numbers are frequently updated to align with the evolving Joint Local Plan.

● Community Capacity:

Local debate often centres on whether the village has already met its sustainable target with residents expressing concerns that further large-scale developments may overstretch local medical services and highways.

• Development Constraints

Recent planning discussions, such as those for a proposed Care Village, highlight that some residents and the Elmswell Parish Council believe the village has already met or exceeded its sustainable quota citing concerns over school capacity, GP access, and water pressure.

Based on the information and indicators provided what is your opinion?

How many people will live in Elmswell in 5 years time?

What is the target population for our village?

What should the target be?

Could it become a town?

Images and consequences of development in Elmswell

What would a postcard of Elmswell look like now?