New Joint Local Plan
A new Babergh and Mid Suffolk Joint Local Plan
Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Councils are preparing a new Joint Local Plan that will guide how places develop within the two districts up to 2045.
The Joint Local Plan will contain strategic and local planning policies, and site allocations to guide development in the districts of Babergh and Mid Suffolk to 2045. When adopted, it will replace all previous Local Plan documents for both Babergh District Council and Mid Suffolk District Council.
Key dates in the preparation of the Joint Local Plan
June 2026: Publication of the Local Plan Timetable and Notice to Commence a Local Plan
June to July 2026: Scoping Consultation
January to February 2027: Consultation on the proposed Local Plan content and evidence
February to March 2028: Consultation on the proposed Local Plan
September 2028 to March 2029: Examination
April 2029: Adoption
Preparatory work before June 2026
Before the publication of the Notice of Intention to Commence Local Plan Preparation, we carried out the following preparatory work:
Sustainability Appraisal Scoping Report Consultation (5 Feb – 16 March 2026)
We invited comments on the Sustainability Appraisal (SA) Scoping Report, to support the preparation of the Joint Local Plan. You can access the document via the following link:
View SA Scoping Report Consultation Page
Call for Sites (20 Oct 2025 - 9 Jan 2026)
We invited site submissions for a variety of land uses for future development.
A map has now been published showing all of the sites put forward.
You can learn more information via the following link:
Visit Call for Sites consultation page
Draft Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment and Forthcoming Call for Sites (September 2025)
As part of the early preparation for the Babergh and Mid Suffolk Local Plan Review - and following the Call for Site in January 2024 - we published the Draft Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA) as evidence to support the Plan Review.
The Draft SHLAA identifies potential sites for housing development that have been submitted to us for consideration.
Please note the SHLAA does not allocate sites for development, and it has no planning status. It is an evidence base document for the Plan Review. It can also be used by town and parish councils who are developing or who want to develop Neighbourhood Development Plans.
As of October 2025, the document has been republished with a small number of factual amendments:
Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment Proposed Approach Consultation (22 Aug - 30 Sept 2024)
We invited representations to be made upon the technical criteria for the site assessment for both potential housing developments and potential Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Showpeople sites. You can access the documents via the following link:
View SHLAA Proposal Consultation
Call for Sites - Gypsy and Traveller, Travelling Showpeople (31 May - 28 Jun 2024)
Following the publication of the Babergh and Mid Suffolk Gypsy and Traveller, Travelling Showpeople and Boat Dweller Accommodation Needs Assessment (May 2024), we carried out a Call for Sites exercise for sites intended for use by Gypsies and Travellers and Travelling Showpeople. This consultation was open between 31 May to 28 June 2024.
Visit Call for Sites - G&T webpage
Call for Sites - Publication of Submitted Sites Residential
Following a 'Call for Sites' exercise which was open between 5 January to 2 February 2024 for residential use, we published sites submitted during this period.
Please note that these sites have no status and are shown for transparency and information only at this stage:
Call for Sites 2024 Online Map
Join our Joint Local Plan mailing list
If you have already made comments about the Joint Local Plan, you will be notified of any future updates (unless you have chosen otherwise).
If you have not previously made comments, but you would like to receive updates, please register your email address for our mailing list.