- Screen Colours:
- Normal
- Black & Yellow
Please note - now that the project to create the Neighbourhood Plan has concluded this website will no longer be updated. Please refer to the Martlesham Parish Council and/or Suffolk Coastal Websites
Martlesham Neighbourhood Plan
17th July 2018 - The Plan is "MADE"
Following the successful referendum result on 24th May, a full meeting of Suffolk Coastal District Council voted unanimously on 17th July 2018 to approve the Martlesham Neighbourhood Plan (in legal terms the plan was "Made").
This means that the Martlesham Neighbourhood Plan is now a legal planning document which must be taken into account when the Planning Authority (ie SCDC) are deciding on planning applications in the Martlesham Neighbourhood Plan area.
The final version of the Plan is now available HERE on the Suffolk Coastal website where all the supporting documentation is also archived.
Result of the Referendum held on 24th May 2018 - 93% Vote YES
The number of people who voted was 1218. This represents 27% of those eligible to vote - which for larger parishes is not bad for Neighbouhood Plan referenda. (It wasa pity it rained from about 4pm onwards)
Number who voted YES was 1138 (ie 93% of those who voted),
Number who voted NO was 79.
There was one spoilt paper.
This is an excellent result. Over the next few weeks we expect that SCDC will formally "make" the plan - so that it becomes a legal planning document which will be taken into account in considering planning applications in the Martlesham Neighbourhood Plan area.
Very many thanks to the team of volunteers who made this possible. Many thanks also to all the residents who came to our public meetings, completed the survey, replied to consultations etc.
Referendum - 24th May 2018
Important Information about what your vote means
Suffolk Coastal District Council have produced this guide - Information for Voters.
On page 4 it explains what the result of the referendum will mean if more people vote "yes", or more people vote "no". It says:-
Positive: If more people vote ‘Yes’ than ‘No’ in the referendum, then Suffolk Coastal District Council will use the Martlesham Neighbourhood Plan to help it decide planning applications in the Martlesham neighbourhood plan area.
At that point, the neighbourhood plan comes into force as part of the statutory development plan for the area (see section ‘What is a Development Plan?) and thereby the starting point for the determination of relevant planning applications.
To complete the neighbourhood plan process and to give the neighbourhood plan its full legal weight, Suffolk Coastal District Council would then need to formally “make” the neighbourhood plan. This would normally occur within 8 weeks of the referendum date.
Negative: If more people vote ‘No’ than ‘Yes’ then planning applications will be decided without using the neighbourhood development plan as part of the development plan for the Martlesham neighbourhood plan area.
Where can I get a copy of the Neighbourhood Plan?
A copy of the Neighbourhood Plan which residents are being asked to vote on can be downloaded HERE. It can also be viewed in the Parish Office in Old Felixstowe Rd (01473 612632) and at the Runway Cafe adjacent to the Church on Martlesham Heath village green.
Where and when do I vote?
The Polling Stations will be open from 7am to 10pm on Thursday 24th May.
SCDC will be sending polling cards to all residents living within the Neighbourhood Plan area. Your polling card will tell you which is your Polling Station.
The Polling Stations are located at:-
-
Kesgrave RC Church, Main Road, Kesgrave IP5 2QP;
-
Martlesham Heath Pavilion, The Drift, Martlesham Heath IP5 3UY;
-
Martlesham Parish Room, Felixstowe Road, Martlesham IP12 4PB (PLEASE NOTE THE CHANGE FROM THE USUAL POLLING STATION IN BLACK TILES LANE)
Who can vote in the referendum?
The referendum is being run by Suffolk Coastal District Council and is open to all registered voters (as at 8th May) who live within the Neighbourhood Plan area (this excludes North Ward where the residents opted to be included within the proposed Woodbridge Neighbourhood Plan area). For more details see page 2 of the Information for Voters.
Where can I get more information?
SCDC's Martlesham Neighbourhood Plan website contains all the statutory documentation relating to the production of the Neighbourhood Plan
Get a copy of the poster sent out with the Martlesham Monthly
Download it here
March 2018
Good News
The Martlesham Neighbourhood Plan is now ready to proceed to the Referendum stage. The referendum (which is being organised by Suffolk Coastal) is expected to take place towards the end of May 2018. Full details about when and where polling will take place, and where you can read a copy of the final version of the plan will published soon.
Winter 2017/18
Over the last few months the Neighbouhood Plan has been undergoing examination by the independent examiner Rosemary Kidd (MRTPI). Full details are available on the Suffolk Coastal website.
The examiner has concluded that the Plan is now ready to proceed to Referendum - and her report is here.
SCDC's formal decision statement that the Neighbouhood Plan is now ready to go to a referendum is here.
October 2017
The Martlesham Neighbourhood Plan has been given the go ahead by SCDC for it to be submitted for examination by an independent examiner. This follows the round of consultation which was carried out by SCDC during August.
We expect that the examination will be carried out during October/November. Following this, if the NP is approved by the examiner, there will be a public referendum of Martlesham residents seeking your approval for it to be formally adopted as a planning document.
Suffolk Coastal District Council's Consultation starts 7 July 2017
Suffolk Coastal District Council have confirmed that their public consultation will run for 6 weeks from 7 July 2017 to 5pm on 18 August 2017.
Full details of how to respond to the consultation, together with all the Martlesham Neighbourhood Plan documents, will be available on the SCDC website from 7th July - click here
Please note that this consultation is being conducted by Suffolk Coastal District Council in accordance with Regulation 16 of the Neighbourhood Planning (General) Regulations as amended. For this reason all comments should be sent to Suffolk Coastal District Council at the address shown on their website referred to above.
If you wish you may also copy your comments to us either by hand or post to:-
Martlesham Parish Council, Parish Room, Felixstowe Road, Martlesham, Woodbridge, Suffolk, IP12 4PB.
or email to:-
Please note that the Independent Examiner will automatically receive all the earlier comments which were sent in about the presubmission version of the Neighbourhood Plan as part of the consultation which ran from November 2016 to Jan 2017.
A paper copy of the Neighbourhood Plan Documentation will be available for inspection at the Parish Council Offices (normally open 9am - 12noon, Mon - Fri; please phone 01473 612632 to make an appointment).
A set of documents will also be available at SCDC Customer Services Centre, Woodbridge Library, Woodbridge IP12 1DT (opening hours Mon - Wed 08:45 - 17:00; Thurs 09:30 - 17:30; Fri 08:45 - 16:30).
Once the consultation has closed, all the comments received together with all the Martlesham Neighbourhood Plan documents shown on the SCDC website will be submitted to an Independent Examiner. The main purpose of the examination is to ensure that the Neighbourhood Plan:
- Meets European obligations.
- Has regard to national planning policies.
- Is in general conformity with the strategic policies of the Suffolk Coastal Local Plan.
- Is compatible with adjoining Neighbourhood Plans.
- Contributes to the achievement of sustainable development.
It's likely that the examiner will wish to consider written representations (comments objecting to or supporting the Neighbourhood Plan) rather than hearing comments in person, but a public hearing may be called if the examiner feels this is required.
Assuming that the examiner recommends that the draft Neighbourhood Plan can proceed then SCDC will organise a referendum.
If a simple majority is achieved, SCDC will adopt our Neighbourhood Plan as part of the Suffolk Coastal Local Plan. This will mean that although planning applications will still be determined by the local planning authority in the normal way, they will be required to take into account policies in the Neighbourhood Plan as well as the Local Plan.
1 June 2017
Great news.
0n 31 May 2017 the Neighbourhood Plan passed a major milestone - it was formally submitted to Suffolk Coastal District Council who will now be responsible for the final stages culminating in it being formally adopted.
This includes a review by a Planning Inspector and a referendum of households in the parish, following which we hope the Plan will be legally "made" - i.e. formally become part of the planning policy for Martlesham carrying weight alongside the Suffolk Coastal Local Plan as it relates to Martlesham.
Very many thanks to all those who have put 100s of hours of work into getting us this far and to residents and others who responded to our surveys and came to the pubilc events - without you it would not have been posssible.
Keep an eye on this site for information on the progress of the final stages.
1 Feb 2017
Please note that the pre-submission consultation closed on 31 January 2017. Very many thanks to all those who responded.
The responses will now be analysed and considered for inclusion in the final version of the NP which will be submitted to SCDC for examination by a Planning Inspector. If the Inspector approves the Plan then SCDC will be responsible for organising a referendum of residents living within the Neighbourhood Plan boundary area. If a simple majority of those voting support the plan then it will be formally "made". This means these policies will sit alongside the Suffolk Coastal Local Plan policies and will have to be taken account of by the SCDC planners when considering any future developments within the Neighbourhood Plan area.
The feedback received as a result of the presubmission consultation, and any changes made to the Plan as a result, will be made publicly available.
14 November 2016
The pre-submission consultation has started today and will run until 31 Jan 2017. Please see the formal notice HERE.
Following extensive research and consultations with residents, businesses and major landowners, the team has identified the policies needed to guide future developments in Martlesham.
DOWNLOAD THE PRESUBMISSION NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN HERE
A paper copy of the full plan is available on request - please contact us.
Please use one of the forms below to send us your comments on the plan:
- Feedback form in PDF Format This can be completed by hand and returned to the locations below. This form was also included in the summary document (see later) which has been distributed to all households and businesses. Completed response forms can be left at McColls in the Square, Black Tiles Post Office, Falcon Lodge reception, or the Parish Council Office on the old Felixstowe Road.
- Feedback form in Word format This can be edited and emailed to martlesham2028@gmx.co.uk
It's important to include your postal address when responding.
WHEN YOU RESPOND PLEASE TRY TO COMMENT ON THE DOCUMENT ITSELF - WE REALLY NEED TO KNOW WHAT YOU THINK OF THE ACTUAL CONTENT OF THE DOCUMENT AND THE POLICIES PROPOSED.
During the earler consultations and surveys we received a lot of feedback on traffic, parking issues and new development and this has been reflected in this draft plan.
OTHER INFORMATION
A summary of the plan has been distributed to all households and businesses within the NP area. If you did not receive this or have mislaid it, you can download it here. However we strongly recommend that you read and comment on the full version shown above.
The area covered by this plan excludes Seckford Height, Dukes Park and the south side of California. Residents in these streets will recall that they elected to be covered by the Woodbridge Neighbourhood Plan. Since then Woodbridge Council decided to abandon their plan and as a result it has been decided by SCDC that Woodbridge will be covered by an area plan to be prepared by SCDC, and that Woodbridge TC will hand over to SCDC their findings to date.
Public displays and drop in sessions have been arranged, to which you are invited are:
- Tuesday 6th December Martlesham Primary Academy (Beacon Hill) 4.00 - 7.00
- Monday 12th December Parish Room (Community Centre, Felixstowe Road) 4.00 - 7.00
- Thursday 15th December Church Centre, (Martlesham Heath) 4.30 - 7.30
- Monday 30th January 2017 Parish Room (Community Centre, Felixstowe Road) 4.00 - 7.00
We will also be pleased to be invited to any club, society or other group in Martlesham to present our plans and listen to your views.
TO GET IN TOUCH PLEASE SEE THE CONTACTS PAGE
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT
At the end of the consultation period we will update the plan as necessary in the light of the feedback received. It will then be handed over to Suffolk Coastal District Council who will arrange for it to be examined by an independent planning inspector and, if it is approved, SCDC will carry out a formal referendum of residents. A simple majority of those who take part in the referendum will be needed to allow it to be brought into effect.
June 2016 - news update
At the Annual Parish Meeting in April, Mike Irwin, chairman of the Parish Council, gave a brief presentation on the main findings which will be taken into account in preparing the Plan. This is here.
Since the Annual Meeting, we've been awarded a grant to help us complete the Plan and a professional consultant has been engaged to help prepare it. Our aim is to have it ready to submit to a Planning Inspector by Jan 2017. Before that we will be seeking residents' comments on the draft Plan.
Jan 2016
Please see the Survey Pages - the data relating to Q34 in the survey (how much do people value the open spaces between built up areas) has been added - sorry about the previous omission. The short answer is that there is overwhelming importance attached to those open areas, especially between Martesham Heath and Kesgrave and between Martlesham and Woodbridge.
September 2015
A flyer was sent out with the August 2015 Martlesham Monthly. However there were problems with its distribution and it didn't reach everyone. If you missed it you can download it from here
Please take time to have a look through it - we'd really like to get your feedback on the issues mentioned, or your views on any other topics you think should be considered.
In particular have a look at the section about the Neighbourhood Plan Boundary and the discussions we've had with BT about their proposed development.
5 May 2015 - The Neighbourhood Plan boundary has finally been approved.
Following the public consultation which closed on 9 March SCDC has approved an amended version of our proposed boundary. The following changes have been made by SCDC to our submitted boundary:-
- Seckford Heights, Woodbridge FC site, Dukes Park, and the south side of California will be covered by the Woodbridge Neighbourhood Plan (please note this does NOT mean that these areas will move out of Martlesham Parish - the parish boundary will remain unchange).
- The whole of the BT site (ie the area known as Adastral Park within the BT security fence) plus the development land so the south and east of Adastral Park have been excluded from the Neighbourhood Plan boundary. SCDC's reasons for this are set out on Page 2 of the Decision Notice which can be downloaded from their website here.
- This decision notice states that "Any grant of planning permission will be subject to a condition requiring a masterplan to be produced. The community would have input into the masterplan.......The combined neighbourhood plan / masterplan approach is considered to provide a strong local input / influence and a strong framework to ensure the physical and social integration between existing and future communities, service provision and land uses over the next 15 to 20 years."
- We intend to press for meaningful community involvement prior to any planning consent being given. The Planning Application pre-dates SP20 and is now some 6 years old and much has changed since then (for example the emergence of a much busier retail park). In addition the process of developing the Local Plan, and the subsequent Inspection process raised a number of issues which were not covered by the planning application - for example mitigating open spaces, country park availability etc - all of which could impact on the local area.
- The NP will have influence on all other future development in the Parish, will seek to protect our open spaces and woodlands and maintain the quality of life we all appreciate and enjoy.
The Residential Survey results
The preliminary results of the survey are now available here.
Historical background
The BT site
Our original application for our Neighbourhood Plan boundary in July 2013 (sic) was rejected by SCDC, on the grounds that the BT site was of strategic importance to the whole of Suffolk Coastal and beyond, and it should therefore be excluded from the scope of the Martlesham Neighbourhood Plan. We have discussed this at length with SCDC, our case being that the BT development (if it goes ahead following the outcome of the NANT legal challenge which is going to the Court of Appeal in 2015) will have a big impact on the whole area, and that it was not in the spirit of localism for the community to have no say in it. We now have agreement in principle from SCDC that the community will have a say, in a meaningful way, about what happens on the BT site and we are working to get that agreement formalised.
Against that background, we have concluded that it is very important for the parish as whole to have a Neighbourhood Plan for the remainder of the parish, excluding the BT site, and we are working hard to get a Neighbourhood Plan in place by mid 2015.
Background to the Neighbourhood Plan
A public meeting was held in the Spring of 2013 to see how people felt about producing a Neighbourhood Plan (NP) for Martlesham. The result was overwhelming support for going ahead. As a result, in July that year the Parish Council submitted an application for the designation of the Neighbourhood Plan Area on behalf of the NP Team to Suffolk Coastal District Council (SCDC).
A Project Plan Team was established and a number of working groups having been looking at the various issues affecting the Parish under the headings of housing, roads and transport, environment, recreation and leisure.
Many of the volunteers subsequently took part in an event to draft a long term Vision for the area.
We also held three public events where residents were invited to comment on the issues, which they felt should be taken in to account in preparing the plan and here are the issues they raised. The outcome of the public events has helped us to shape many of the questions which are in the survey being sent to all households in September 2014, so everyone in Martlesham now has a chance to input to the Plan.
Once the survey is complete, we will publish the results in November and use the outcome to help us write the actual Neighbourhood Plan. Residents will get a further chance to comment on the Plan before we submit to Suffolk Coastal. SCDC is required by law to hold a referendum where a simple majority of those who take part is needed for the Plan to be finally submitted to a Planning Inspector (whom we will appoint). If the Inspector approves the Neighbourhood Plan, it will form part of the planning policy documents for the Martlesham Parish.
Why Martlesham 2028 ?
Because the Neighbourhood plan will play a big part in influencing how the Parish will evolve up to around 2028.
The December 2013 Newsletter is here