3.6.1 Red Lodge is located immediately south-east of the A11, approximately six kilometres north-east of Newmarket and four kilometres south-west of Mildenhall. The settlement has seen a high level of growth over the past decade as it was developed as a planned village extension through a masterplan. This has evolved through the development process to become a sustainable community with a good level of accessible services and facilities including:

• a GP practice
• leisure and recreational facilities
• a local centre with shops, including supermarket and a post office
• community centre (Millenium Centre)
• two primary schools
• allotments

3.6.2 This growth is reflected in the population figures, with the 2011 Census population figure showing 3,834 people resident in Red Lodge which has expanded to approximately 5,731 (2018 mid-year estimate).

Constraints and opportunities

• Kennett train station is around two kilometres south of the settlement with a two-hourly service on the Ipswich to Cambridge line. Bus services go to Newmarket, Bury St Edmunds and Mildenhall.
• The A11 runs to the north-west of the settlement and forms a physical boundary to existing development.
• Environment Agency mapping identifies land within Flood Zones 2 and 3 running along the River Kennett where it coincides with the administrative boundary of West Suffolk to the south of the settlement.
• The Breckland Special Protection Area (SPA) is designated for its nature conservation value, and proximity to these protected species and their habitats constrain development to the east and north-east of Red Lodge.
• Red Lodge Heath to the south of Turnpike Road is a 21 hectare site of special scientific interest (SSSI) within the existing settlement boundary.
• The high rate of growth at Red Lodge over recent years raises the issue of the ability of the settlement and the local housing market to absorb further large scale growth.
• There are some local employment opportunities within the settlement and its hinterland with planning permission for a business park at Kings Warren for B1 light industry/business and B2 general industry uses.

Settlement status

3.6.3 The village is designated as a key service centre in the current local plan in recognition of the important role it has to play in serving the residents of the village and those who live in the surrounding rural area. Red Lodge provides a number of key services and facilities that meet the villages own needs, and the needs of other nearby smaller settlements. It is proposed that the village maintains its status and is designated as a key service centre in the new West Suffolk settlement hierarchy.

Site options

3.6.4 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.

3.6.5 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.

3.6.6 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.

3.6.7 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.

3.6.8 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.

Red Lodge settlement constraints map

Red Lodge settlement map showing SHELAA included sites

Red Lodge - included SHELAA sites