Land East of Norwich Road

The development site is 15.7 hectares and will provide 269 high quality homes, 35% of which will be affordable housing. Houses will be a mix of 1 to 5 bedrooms and a mix of terraced, semi-detached and detached designs of 1 and 2 storeys. Car parking and provision of garages will be in accordance with Suffolk Parking Standards.

We will also deliver public open spaces including informal play areas to act as a hub for families to socialise. The homes on this development will be surrounded by green open space, which represents and enhances the development’s semi-rural setting and new footpaths and cycleways will connect the development to the local area.

The local community will also benefit from an extension to the adjacent St Mary & St Peter’s Church, including a new car park.

To create a characterful community, the proposed development will have four distinct areas, to help ensure the development is in keeping with its surroundings, whilst also providing a continuity of themes across the development and helping to generate a sense of place. Each character area will contain its own individual design components which aid in making it distinct from other areas.

The majority of the houses will be two storey, with a mix of detached, semi detached and terraced designs. There will also be 17 single-storey bungalows. The housing mix will be spread evenly across the development, with affordable housing sensitively distributed over six separate areas.

The location of the development, adjacent to the existing and established community of Barham is a positive characteristic which has been maximised through the provision of direct and attractive pedestrian routes. The site is located close to a number of amenities within walking distance, including a future adjacent pre-school & primary school and a doctor’s surgery.

Sustainable urban drainage features will be located throughout the development feeding into a balancing pond to the lowest end of the site adjacent to Norwich Road. This will form part of the landscaping at the entrance to the site adjacent to the community use land and an attractive gateway feature.

We will also be providing additional drainage basins to manage excess surface water run-off during periods of heavy or persistent rainfall. The sustainable drainage (SuDS) feature will also be designed to create new habitats for wildlife and contribute to the setting of the new homes.

We will be introducing a new of ecological enhancements, this includes, where possible, retaining hedgerows and woodland at the boundaries of the site to allow corridors and shelter/foraging areas for wildlife to grow and mature. New landscaping will incorporate native and wildlife-attracting trees, shrubs, and wildflower areas to benefit a variety of wildlife including birds, bats, and invertebrates.

Our plans include opportunities to enhance the site for local wildlife and measures to enhance biodiversity. These include appropriately located bat and bird boxes, together with hedgehog links to enable hedgehogs to move freely throughout the site. Additionally, a lighting strategy will be agreed with the local planning authority to ensure there will be no adverse impact on wildlife, e.g. bats and dormice.

Shrub planting within the development will be designed to unify street scenes, soften building facades, and add to the overall character of the site through the use of different species in different areas. Planting along building frontages will be limited to narrow strips to ensure the areas can be easily maintained by residents. Away from building frontages, planting will be managed and will, in places, such as around the open space, utilise hedges to provide additional structure.

Within the housing areas the majority of trees will consist of more ornamental species, whilst in private gardens, trees will primarily consist of smaller garden-scale species. All tree species will be native to the area to ensure cohesion with the surrounding landscape. In both public and private areas, larger specimens will be included where appropriate.

The development will provide several areas of green open space, including informal play areas with natural play elements for residents and the wider community to enjoy.

Energy efficiency and sustainability

We're committed to building greener, healthier homes for us all. From energy efficient fixtures and fittings, to cutting our carbon emissions, and enhancing existing green spaces, we build sustainability into everything we do.

• Over half of the homes will be built in compliance with the 2023 Parts L and F changes to Building Regulations which will result in a 31% improvement in energy efficiency over current regulations, in every home
• Buildings will be designed and constructed using the Fabric First Approach to minimise the need for energy consumption through a variety of methods
• Homes will incorporate features including roof mounted PV panels, wastewater heat recovery and gas flue heat recovery systems
• In 2025, air source heat pumps or electric boilers will be used in place of gas boilers, with previously constructed homes easily adapted to these systems
• Electric car charging points will be provided for every home with off-street parking

Resources & Waste

A number of steps will be taken during construction on site and following completion of the development to minimise waste and ensure the sustainable use of resources. This includes engaging with our suppliers to meaningfully reduce plastic packaging and taking steps to reduce mains water usage on site, including the installation of water butts to recycle rainwater. We will minimise potable water use by including technical features, such as restricted flow taps, dual flush cisterns and water saving fitted white goods. We will also provide customers with information on how to increase recycling at home.

We will be contributing over £3,490,000 to Mid Suffolk Council to help fund local services and infrastructure, including waste management and travel plan contributions. Our contributions to the local community will include:

• Affordable Housing – 35% affordable housing to be constructed on the development (75% rent / 25% shared ownership)
• Open Space Contribution
• Education Contribution - £1,431,210
• Highways Contribution - £200,500
• Travel Plan Contribution – Over £5,000
• Habitat Mitigation Contribution - £32,788
• Church Extension Site Contribution - £60,000

Please come and meet us

We are holding two community events where there will be an opportunity to talk to the team about our proposals:

• Wednesday 4th May 6pm until 8pm
  In-person workshop at Claydon and Barham Village Hall, 8 Norwich Road, Claydon, Ipswich, IP6 0DF
  
  
• Thursday 5th May 6pm until 8pm
  Online workshop via Zoom

To join us for one of these events please register in advance by emailing [email protected] or calling 01473 355736.

We ask that you join us for the full session and both events will cover the same topics so you only need to come along to one event. We look forward to welcoming you.