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 and has a population of approximately 6055 (2019 mid-year estimate). There is a good level of accessible services and facilities including a GP practice, community centre and a local centre with shops, including a supermarket, a post office, sports pavilion, primary schools and leisure facilities.

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.
• There is at least an hourly bus service from 9am (at the latest) to 5pm (at the earliest).
• There is currently no dedicated cycle link to the station.
• The A11 runs to the north-west of the settlement and forms a physical boundary to existing There is a lack of connectivity to public transport.
• 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 recent high rate of planned growth at Red Lodge is likely to affect 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 light industry/business and/or general industry uses.

Preferred allocations

3.6.2. Three sites are proposed as preferred sites for residential development in Red Lodge providing an indicative capacity of 572 dwellings.

3.6.3. The level of development proposed in Red Lodge is influenced by the overall housing requirement and the settlement strategy. This determines the distribution of development across the district as well as the existing environmental and physical constraints and the overall capacity for growth in the Further information on how housing numbers have been derived can be seen in part one of the local plan.

3.6.4. Further information on alternative site options considered but not taken forward can be seen in the table of omission sites in appendix B.

3.6.5. An existing preferred strategic mixed use site, as well as existing established employment areas have been identified for Red Lodge. Further details can be seen in chapter 7 employment. Each site is identified on the policies map.

3.6.6. Information on infrastructure can be seen in the draft infrastructure delivery plan (IDP) (2022) which sets out baseline data for each settlement.

Red Lodge settlement constraints map

Red Lodge preferred allocations map