Neighbourhood Plan
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Walsham le Willows Neighbourhood Plan – Adopted by MSDC
In Memory of Maggie Barber 1943 – 2023
Former chair of Walsham le Willows Parish Council
This Neighbourhood Plan was Maggie’s idea and without her vision and encouragement it would not have happened. For over forty years Maggie contributed to all aspects of village life and she is much missed. Grateful thanks also go to Rob Barber for his guidance and advice especially during the final stages of drafting this Plan.
‘So behind every generalization, there lies the infinite variety and beauty of detail; and it is the detail that matters, that gives pleasure to the eye and to the mind.’
WG Hoskins, The Making of the English Landscape, 1956
The submitted plan was passed at referendum by 203 votes to 14. It was duly adopted by Mid Suffolk District Council on 24 November 2023.
Read more on the Mid-Suffolk District Council website
Read or download a copy of the adopted neighbourhood plan (large pdf file 41Mb)
What is a Neighbourhood Plan?
The Walsham le Willows Neighbourhood Plan is a planning policy document written by the community to guide future development in the area between 2023 and 2037. It is the first of its kind for the parish and is part of the Government’s current approach to planning.
Very soon the Neighbourhood Plan will be adopted by Mid Suffolk District Council who will use it to help to determine planning applications for Walsham le Willows.
Walsham le Willows Parish Council will also use the Neighbourhood Plan to respond to planning applications. The Walsham le Willows Neighbourhood Plan is not a means of stopping development; it is there to ensure that any development takes place in an appropriate way for the area.
Thank you from the Parish Council
The Parish Council would like to thank the following for this achievement which represents at least 4 years of work, including through the covid pandemic:
- all the steering group members
- the consultants, Andrea Long of Compasspoint planning and her colleague Rachel Leggett
- all the residents who contributed to the formulation of the plan and who kept coming even when it looked like not much was happening
- the officers of MSDC for their support.
Steering group members
- Jimmy Bailey – local resident
- The late Maggie Barber (former Chair of Parish Council)
- Richard Belson, local resident and Chair of the Parish Council
- Ian Campbell, local resident
- Sally Johnston, local resident
- Alison Martin, local resident
- Suzi Martineau, local resident
- Nick Mecrow, local resident and Parish Councillor
- Gordon Murray, local resident
- Phil Newby, local resident, Chair of Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group
