Build on brownfield sites? What brownfields sites are these?

12.00.00am GMT Wed 31st Dec 2008

The Local Council are planning changes in Bury St Edmunds! You have until 5th January to let the Council know your views. This is what I think!

Q10 Do you agree with the council's proposed settlement hierarchy and distribution of housing growth? If not, what changes do you think should be made and why?

No. The Council have not made clear in the information provided the extent of availability of brownfield sites in the urban and rural areas. So consultees are likely to respond to the ideal. i.e. only on brownfield sites without the information to know whether this is a feasible option.

The last 15 years, which saw only 10% of housing built in an area where 43% of the residents live, has seen a neglect of rural development with higher house prices splitting families and driving countryside workers into lower cost accommodation in the towns resulting in more commuting across the Borough generally. This imbalance needs to be corrected or the problem will only get worse. No attempt at the moment seems to be planned to address this problem. This is unacceptable. New housing needs to spread evenly in rural areas not focused on certain villages, which would change the character of those villages while leaving other villages struggling to survive as meaningful communities.