Building more homes in Suffolk Coastal seems like a good idea but they haven’t always met local needs. Too many over-priced new houses have been built without additional energy efficiency measures while there continues to be a shortage of affordable homes to buy or rent. And more new developments are being proposed such as the Howlett Way site, despite local objections and associated environmental devastation.
Green Party policy has always been that local communities should have much more influence over plans for large scale housing. The new Green/Lib Dem/Independent (GLI) administration at East Suffolk Council (ESC) is working hard to consult with local residents and businesses to understand and address their concerns. For example, a Citizens’ Panel has been launched for the Felixstowe North Garden Neighbourhood, to explore issues around climate change, community facilities, affordable housing, energy and local employment. The GLI administration is also working to increase homes to let at social rents by at least 400 properties by 2028, although the state of local government finance means this will be difficult.
Meanwhile, Parish and Town Councillors try to ensure new housing developments are of an appropriate scale with the right mix of housing and access to local services. Unfortunately, valid objections have been over-ruled too often in the past. Hopefully, this will change with a new grass roots organisation, the East Suffolk Planning Alliance (ESPA) which will bring together parish and town councillors with ESC planners at regular meetings.
ESPA members and Green Party councillors are also concerned about the current failure of building regulations to require energy efficiency measures in new homes such as low carbon heating systems, high levels of insulation or solar panels on roofs. National guidance needs to be upgraded but that will probably have to wait for a new Government. It cannot come soon enough!
A longer version of this piece was first published in the April editions of the Felixstowe, Woodbridge and Martlesham Flyers https://www.flyeronline.co.uk and in the Tide Collection (Aldeburgh, Leiston, Saxmundham and Southwold editions) https://www.leistonpress.com/printing/tide-collection/
JULIAN CUSACK
