East Suffolk Council is offering another opportunity for residents, developers, landowners, businesses, and other organisations to identify potential development sites across the district. This initiative is in preparation for the creation of the area's new Local Plan, which will guide growth and change until 2045.
The forthcoming Local Plan will serve as a framework for identifying locations for new homes, jobs, shops, community facilities, and essential infrastructure improvements. Scheduled for adoption in April 2029, it will supersede the current Suffolk Coastal and Waveney Local Plans and will be used alongside national planning policies and Neighbourhood Plans to determine planning applications.
Site allocations are a crucial component of the Local Plan, designating specific areas for various types of development, including housing, employment, sports and leisure, and community facilities. The plan will also establish site-specific criteria to guide development as it progresses.
Submissions are now being accepted for a range of uses. For housing, sites capable of accommodating three or more dwellings are now eligible. This follows an initial Call for Sites held between October 2025 and January 2026.
The current Call for Sites will remain open for an additional six weeks. It is important to note that submitting a site does not guarantee its allocation in the Local Plan or that development will automatically occur. Each proposal will be carefully considered by the Council before any decision is made regarding its inclusion as a proposed allocation.
Decisions on preferred allocations will be informed by a comprehensive range of evidence, assessments, and public engagement. Cllr Mark Packard, East Suffolk Council's cabinet member for Planning and Coastal Management, expressed gratitude for the approximately 500 sites submitted during the initial call.
“"The Local Plan should reflect the needs and ambitions of everyone in the district, so we can support high-quality, sustainable development in the places where people live, work and spend their free time. With residents, business owners, landowners and local organisations having the best understanding of their local area and what it needs, we’re now asking more people to get in touch to share details of further sites they believe may be suitable for development."
The Call for Sites is open until 5pm on Monday 16 November. Completed forms can be submitted via email to planningpolicy@eastsuffolk.gov.uk or by post to East Suffolk Council, Planning Policy and Delivery Team (Neighbourhood Plans), Riverside, 4 Canning Road, Lowestoft, Suffolk NR33 0EQ.
