News from West Suffolk Council – 2045 Local Plan Scoping Consultation

This local plan will take around 30 months to prepare, with adoption of the plan currently scheduled for May 2029. The timetable for the preparation of the local plan can be viewed here.

This first scoping consultation takes the form of a survey. It includes a mix of free-text and multiple-choice questions about how you would like to be engaged and consulted during the plan preparation process, as well as what the plan should include.

The survey contains a number of optional questions and takes approximately 15-20 minutes to complete. The results of the survey will be used to inform the preparation of the first draft of the local plan and a new community engagement strategy.

The survey and supporting documents will be available to view as soon as the consultation starts on 16 June.

You do not need to register to view the documents but will need to register to send in comments via the system. This is the most efficient and effective way to receive peoples’ views, although comments made by email to planning.policy@westsuffolk.gov.uk

Written responses can be posted to: Planning Strategy, West Suffolk Council, West Suffolk House, Western Way, Bury St Edmunds, IP33 3YU.

We are legally required to make the comments we receive about the local plan available for all to see, including your name. No other personal information will be published (please ensure any documents you upload to the system do not contain any personal information as this will not be redacted before publication). We cannot accept any comments marked private or confidential.

All comments will be available to view as soon as reasonably possible after the close of the consultation period.

The following supporting documents will be available online at the link above from the start of the consultation as background information:

• Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) scoping report (2026). A report setting out baseline environmental information for the district.

• Local plan baseline information (2026). A report that sets out a current picture of West Suffolk, covering housing, employment and the environment. It is informed in part by data collected through monitoring of the existing local plan.

• Implications of the draft National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) for West Suffolk. The draft NPPF was published in December 2025, and the final version is expected in summer 2026. This report sets out the significant proposed policy changes that are likely to affect the content of the next local plan.

Where to view hard copies of the consultation documents

Hard copies of the local plan scoping survey and supporting documents will be available to view at the following locations during normal working hours as below:

• Brandon Library, The Brandon Centre, Bury Road, Brandon, IP27 0BQ
• Haverhill House, Lower Downs Slade, Haverhill, Suffolk CB9 9EE
• Mildenhall Hub, Sheldrick Way, Mildenhall, Suffolk IP28 7JX
• Newmarket Library, 1a The Guineas, Newmarket, CB8 8EQ
• West Suffolk House, Western Way, Bury St Edmunds IP33 3YU

Public drop in events

We will also be running a number of consultation drop in events at our council offices and markets during the consultation period where you will be able to talk to officers about the new West Suffolk Local Plan, and the process for responding to the survey. The table below details the dates, times and locations of these events.

If you have any questions, please email: planning.policy@westsuffolk.gov.uk or call 01284 757368.

Have Your Say and complete the survey online https://westsuffolk.inconsult.uk/Scoping_Consultation_2026/consultationHome