2.2.1 Bury St Edmunds is the largest town in West Suffolk with a population of 41,332 (2018 mid-year estimate), located in the centre of the district. Bury St Edmunds is a market town, hosting a twice weekly provisions market, with a range of convenience and comparison shops represented by both national and independent retailers. The town centre hosts:

• GP surgeries
• district council offices
• a library
• The Abbey Gardens and a cathedral
• a theatre
• The Apex entertainment and conference venue
• two cinemas
• a public leisure centre and swimming pool
• a museum
• police, ambulance and fire stations
• a hospital with outpatient services
• Dental surgeries

all of which serve a wide rural hinterland. There are also a number of hotels to serve the growing number of tourists who visit the town.

2.2.2 The town also has seven primary schools and three secondary schools, as well as West Suffolk College and the University of Suffolk West Suffolk College campus, the main skills training and further education provider in the town. There are also number of established employment areas and sites for expansion of employment uses, including Suffolk Business Park.

2.2.3 Bury St Edmunds is considered to be one of the most sustainable locations for new development within the district because of the range of services and facilities available in the town. It has a rail station which directly connects with the towns of Ipswich, Cambridge and Ely. A bus station served by local bus operators and national express.

Constraints and opportunities

• The town has a strong business culture with a significant employment sector.
• Proximity of Bury St Edmunds to the A14 makes it an attractive commuter location increasing congestion on the local road network, which in the town centre is narrow and not built to cope with the volume of traffic.
• There are two conservation areas, one based around the town centre and the other around Victoria Street. The town has a wealth of listed buildings and a world class heritage core.
• Existing allocations in the town plan to deliver in the region of 5000 new homes, two new primary schools and new community parkland by 2031.
• Further growth will be dependent on local environmental and infrastructure capacity.
• The town lies at the confluence of the Rivers Lark and Linnet and the river corridors are a valuable natural resource which links the town to the wider countryside. However, there are areas of flood risk which constrains development in those parts of the town.
• Much of the town centre is covered by an area of archaeological importance, beyond which there are other archaeological sites within and near to the town boundary.

2.2.4 Bury St Edmunds continues to function as a market town serving the retail, leisure and cultural needs of the local catchment area and there is no change proposed to its status as a town on the settlement hierarchy.

2.2.5 The former St Edmundsbury area Bury St Edmunds Vision 2031 (2014) allocated five strategic sites (4350 dwellings) together with 10 brownfield sites (638 dwellings). Of these, 1889 dwellings have planning permission as of October 2019, including two strategic sites at Moreton Hall and North West Bury St Edmunds which are under construction.

Site options

2.2.6 The level of development will be influenced by the settlement strategy which will determine the distribution of development across the district as well as the existing environmental and physical constraints and the overall capacity for growth in the settlement.

2.2.7 A number of sites have been submitted to the council by landowners and developers for potential inclusion in the local plan. Included sites in the Strategic Housing and Economic Land Availability Assessment (SHELAA) that lie within or adjacent to the settlement boundary are shown on the map below, as these have passed the initial tests of being suitable, available and achievable, and so are more likely to be sites that could be suitable for allocation in the local plan.

2.2.8 It is important to note that at this stage these sites have not been selected as preferred sites for development, but we are seeking views on them to assist with the preparation of the next draft of the plan, where decisions will be made on which, if any, sites would be suitable for allocation.

2.2.9 The table below provides information on these sites, setting out information on the proposed use and planning status. Also below is a map of the main settlement constraints to assist you in making a response.

2.2.10 Your comments on these sites will help in drawing up the next draft of the West Suffolk Local Plan for consultation in 2021. This will set out the council’s preferred options for the distribution of housing and other land uses across the district. The council will also consult on the preferred sites across the district to achieve this distribution.

Bury St Edmunds settlement constraints maps

Bury St Edmunds settlement map showing SHELAA included sites

Bury St Edmunds – included SHELAA site