News

THE FORNHAM LADIES CLUB IS LOOKING FOR MEMBERS

The date of the next meeting is 19th October 2022 at 7.30pm when Freddie Chenery will talk on his experience of taking part in the London Marathon.

We usually meet in Fornham St. Martin Village Hall on the third Wednesday of the month at 7.30pm.

Arrangements are being made for a Christmas Lunch at Bradfield St. George Manger on December 7th 2022.

For more information please contact Heather Long, Secretary, on 01284 767372 or Rosemary Chenery on 01284 766098.

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Have #YourSay on #YourFuture of #YourWestSuffolk

WEST SUFFOLK LOCAL PLAN PUBLIC CONSULTATION

From today, residents across West Suffolk can have their say and shape the future of where new homes can be built and where employment growth may take place.

The West Suffolk Local Plan, which covers the period up to 2040 and will be used to decide planning applications, will guide where land such as countryside is protected as well as where development for new housing or land for employment can take place.

The local plan also contains the policies that will secure the delivery of affordable housing, new play areas, green public open space, health and education facilities, and transport provision.

But first the creation of a local plan must go through several stages of public consultation as set out by the Government. The West Suffolk Local Plan, which is still only a draft, has completed its first stage of public consultation to discuss the issues and options. This is the second round of consultation.

The first consultation, together with national guidance and emerging evidence, has led to a refined set of sites and policy parameters that the council is now seeking views on.

To get to this point some sites have been dismissed while others have been included and the Council is seeking feedback on both.  As part of this consultation, the council is also carrying out a ‘call for sites’ to ensure it has explored all possible options before it concludes the sites selected for the final draft local plan, which is due to go out to consultation next year.   

The document also includes policy parameters for how development will address climate change, increase biodiversity and aid people’s health and wellbeing including through homes that can adapt to support people’s changing health needs as they grow older.

In total, the Government has identified that 15,200 more homes will be needed in West Suffolk by 2040 to meet future housing needs. Some 8,600 of these already have planning permission which leaves land for at least 6,600 homes to be identified through the new local plan.   

The preferred options stage includes land for 7,134 homes – this is because the Council must over allocate to provide a level of choice and certainty that it will meet its housing needs. The preferred options are made up of new sites as well as sites in the existing plans of the former St Edmundsbury Borough and Forest Heath District councils that are yet to gain planning permission, and which are now being reassessed as part of this new local plan. Of the land identified for the 7,134 homes, only 2,600 of these homes are on new sites that have been put forward.

The preferred options consultation will run to 26 July 2022 and residents can find out more and have their say by visiting our virtual exhibition at https://westsuffolk.exhibition.app/

They can also come along to any of our public exhibition events taking place in the following towns and villages below.

Alternatively, residents can email planning.policy@westsuffolk.gov.ukor phone 01284 757368 to find out other ways that they can participate.

Cllr David Roach, Cabinet Member for Planning at West Suffolk Council said: “Having a local plan in place is vital. Without it, development will still happen, but our communities and the council will have less of a voice. Without it we won’t be able to prevent inappropriate, speculative development from taking place. Without it we can’t offer as much protection to greenfield sites and the countryside while there would also be fewer safeguards to stop employment land being used for housing. And we could well end up with other inappropriate garden, infill and other development that negatively impacts on communities.

“The local plan is crucial to meeting housing needs, so our communities have somewhere to live, that homes are built to good quality and are adaptable to support people’s changing health needs as they get older. It is also key to ensuring land is allocated for different types of businesses, supporting their ambitions and with it jobs and the future of our communities.

“That’s why it is important that people to have their say. It’s your future, your say, your West Suffolk.”

This consultation on the preferred options will lead to further changes to the draft local plan and will followed by another public consultation next year on the “submission” draft of the plan. Finally, the plan will be submitted to the Secretary of State who will then appoint a Planning Inspector to carry out an independent examination – and it is only after the Planning Inspector has found the plan acceptable, that the local plan can be recommended to a meeting of the council to seek its adoption.

Alongside the public consultation, the Council is also issuing a further call for sites. This is because the last call for sites did not generate enough smaller housing sites of one hectare or less to comply with national Government policy, and to ensure a wide choice of employment sites to meet the demand established in an employment land review. The Council will also issue a call for sites specifically to identify land for Gypsies, Travellers and Travelling Showpeople. The Council has statutory duties and an assessment is being undertaken with some initial findings indicating accommodation needs.

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NEXT MEETING TO BE HELD ON THURSDAY 26TH MAY 2022 AT 7PM, IN THE VILLAGE HALL.

2022 Annual Parish Assembly

(Village Meeting)

at 7pm on THURSDAY 26^TH MAY 2022

(Followed by the Annual Parish Council Meeting)

 in the Village Hall, The Street, Fornham St Martin, IP31 1SW

AGENDA

1. Election of the Chair to preside for Annual Parish Meeting
2. To approve the minutes of the last Annual Parish Meeting held on 9^th May 2019

ANNUAL REPORTS

3. To receive a report from the Parish Council Chairman (Cllr. John Borrett)
4. To receive a report from County and District Councillor (Cllr. Rebecca Hopfensperger)
5. Police Service Report
6. To receive a report from St Martin’s Church PCC (David Yates)
7. To Receive a report from the Village Hall Committee
8. To invite a report from local clubs/societies and organisations

PUBLIC FORUM Members of the public will have an opportunity at the end of the meeting to address the Council on any issues or concerns. The public are welcome to stay and observe the Annual Parish Council meeting but are not permitted to speak once the Chairman has opened the meeting.

Cllr. John Borrett,

Chairman of Fornham St Martin-cum-St Genevieve Parish Council.

Date: 19^th May 2022.

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FESTIVAL OF SUFFOLK 2022

A symbolic torch will tour the county of Suffolk from Friday 13th May until Wednesday 1st June in order to herald the start of the Festival of Suffolk and the celebrations to mark HM the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. The torch will carried by selected torch bearers and transported by rickshaw.

The torch provides light, symbolising a bright and prosperous future for the county. Its function is threefold:

- to herald the Festival of Suffolk

- to transmit a message of peace, unity and friendship to the people of Suffolk

- to showcase all that is good in Suffolk; places and people

DATE & TIME: Sunday 15^th May 2022 at 9:30am

LOCATION: Fornham St Martin Village Hall

NAME OF TORCH BEARER: Lorraine & Jessica Smith

CONTACT NAME FOR PARISH CLERK: Vicky Bright

PHONE: 07712 232920     EMAIL ADDRESS:fsmsgpc@gmail.com

TORCH BEARER INFORMATION

Lorraine Smith, who has Incurable Breast Cancer and her daughter Jessica 9-year old, who is her Mothers young carer are the nominated Torch Bearers for Fornham St Martin.

All are welcome to watch the Torch procession and join us for a photo!

Lorem initius...