A developer has launched a consultation over its plans to build homes in a Suffolk village.
Barratt and David Wilson Homes (Anglia) has launched the public consultation on its ‘emerging proposal’ for ‘high quality new homes and open space’ for the land to the east of Ixworth Road in Thurston.
As part of its consultation, next week the homebuilder will be holding special events where the community can view its plans and comment on the proposals.
A campaign group was recently launched in the village calling for a halt on all housing developments in the village until a ‘robust’ infrastructure is in place.
Outline planning permission was granted last year, which established the principle of providing up to 210 new homes here.
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Barratt and David Wilson has now acquired the site and is currently preparing proposals for the reserved matters, which cover the detailed aspects of the development such as the appearance of the new homes, landscaping, housing layout and scale.
As part of the public consultation, the developer is inviting local residents in Thurston to have their say on the draft proposal and the feedback will inform the final design before a reserved matters planning application is submitted to Mid-Suffolk District Council later this summer.
The developer says key proposal include:
• A mixture of up to 210 high quality, energy efficient new homes including 35 per cent affordable housing, starter homes and family homes.
• Biodiversity enhancements including native tree and wildflower planting, wildlife corridors, bird boxes and hedgehog highways.
• Sustainable drainage features designed to cope with a one in 100 year flood event plus allowances for climate change.
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• Improvements to connectivity and a car club to help encourage sustainable travel, plus the retention and enhancement of Public Rights of Way.
• Proportionate financial contributions to invest in the expansion of local services, as agreed through the outline planning permission.
• Space for a mini orchard or community food growing area
• Provision of new open space and play space for children.
The developer adds the new homes have been ‘carefully designed to complement the look and feel of Thurston and Barratt and David Wilson has put Thurston Parish Council’s Thurston Character Assessment at the ‘heart of its design process’.
Similarly, sustainability is a key feature of the design and new homes will be provided with air source heat pumps and EV charging, it says.
People can view the plans plans and submit feedback via the dedicated project website www.bdw-thurston.co.uk.
Residents can also have their say for free by writing to the Barratt and David Wilson Homes’ project team via Freepost at Freepost GNL Consultation.
A spokesperson for Barratt and David Wilson Homes Anglia said: “We’re delighted to launch our consultation to seek feedback from the community to help make sure our proposal delivers the maximum number of benefits for Thurston.
“With the principle of new homes here already established by the outline planning permission, we are looking forward to collaborating with the community to design the details of how the homes will look.
“There’s a real opportunity here to help address the shortage of new homes that is seeing young families priced out of the area they grew up in. With our mix of private and affordable homes, we can help local people to take their first step onto the property ladder and stay in the area they call home.
“Our plan is more than just bricks and mortar. We want to deliver a landscape-led proposal that sees new tree and wildflower planting, creates new green spaces, opens up wildlife corridors and enhances existing Public Rights of Way.
“Barratt and David Wilson Homes is where quality lives and our commitment to quality means we’ll deliver a development with the same look and feel that makes Thurston special.”
The details of Barratt and David Wilson Homes’ upcoming public consultation events are:
Community webinar
Date: Monday, July 15
Time: 6pm to 8pm
Location: Zoom (contact andyansell@gnl-strategic.co.uk for the registration link)
Public exhibition
Date: Tuesday, July 16
Time: 4pm to 8pm
Location: Main Hall, New Green Centre, New Green Avenue, Thurston, IP31 3TG