Babergh District Council's Planning Committee met to discuss two planning applications, approving both. The first application, a reserved matters application for 149 homes at Chilton Woods in Sudbury, was approved despite objections from Historic England and Chilton Parish Council. An application for advertisement consent by Babergh Growth Ltd was also approved.

Chilton Woods Reserved Matters Application (DC/22/05231)

This application sought approval of the layout, scale, appearance and landscaping for 149 homes at Chilton Woods. The development will be heated by a communal heat network powered by air source heat pumps. This will deliver a carbon saving of 54.5% beyond the Approved Document Part L of the Building Regulations 2021¹, significantly exceeding current targets.

The application was approved despite objections from Historic England, who argued that the application did not do enough to mitigate the impact of the development on the nearby Wood Hall Moat, a Scheduled Monument².

Historic England raise a holding objection to Phase 3 as currently presented, expressing disappointment that the matters considered and agreed at the Outline stage have been ignored. It specifically identifies conflict with paragraphs 195 and 199 of the NPPF³, which relate to conserving assets so they can be enjoyed for existing and future generations and ensuring that information about the historic environment is publicly accessible respectively. - Babergh District Council Planning Officer

The Council's planning officers argued that the application was acceptable, stating that it accords with the outline planning permission for the wider Chilton Woods development. They also noted that a contribution of £12,500 towards an information board and a footpath had been secured from the developer. The application was approved with conditions.

Chilton Parish Council objected to the application on several grounds, including the impact on the Scheduled Monument and a lack of sustainable drainage. The Parish Council also argued that the application had failed to address objections from statutory consultees.

Councillor McCraw, the Ward Member, also spoke at the meeting, expressing concerns about the lack of smaller properties in the development.

the comments made regarding the communities requirement for smaller properties, and the lack of sales for similar type of properties within the development. - Councillor McCraw, Babergh District Council

The applicant's representatives stated that the proposed amendments to the development would improve sales and that the smaller homes were not selling because they were not yet available.

Advertisement Consent (DC/24/03530)

Babergh Growth Ltd's application for advertisement consent for a non-illuminated sign at the former District Council Offices in Hadleigh was approved unanimously. The sign is temporary and will be removed by September 2025.

The committee heard that the sign was needed to help market the site.

whether the sign would be single sided, any potential impact on the visibility splay, removal of the sign once the development works were completed, and whether the sign would be illuminated. - Babergh District Councillors