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Planning appeal decision

Dismissed30 January 20266001265

Land at Royal Oak, Thetford Road, Ixworth Thorpe, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, IP311QW

Planning appeal 6001265 at Land at Royal Oak, Thetford Road, Ixworth Thorpe, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, IP311QW (West Suffolk) was dismissed on 30 January 2026 by Inspector Whitfield H, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: Whether the site is suitable for residential development, having regard to its location, land use and the amount of development proposed, with particular regard to relevant development plan policies for development in the countryside and the site's accessibility to services and facilities.

permission in principle for a detached self-build or custom build dwelling

Authority
West Suffolk
Appeal type
minor · Planning Appeal
Procedure
Written Representations
Development
residential · Minor Dwellings
Inspector
Whitfield H
Postcode
IP31 1QW

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

  • Whether the site is suitable for residential development, having regard to its location, land use and the amount of development proposed, with particular regard to relevant development plan policies for development in the countryside and the site's accessibility to services and facilities

What decided it

The site's poor connectivity by sustainable travel modes and failure to meet the locational and accessibility criteria of Policy SP21 for countryside dwellings, combined with the limited contribution of a single dwelling to the self-build housing shortfall, means the proposal conflicts with the development plan and material considerations do not indicate a decision should be made otherwise.

The benefits of housing delivery, self-build housing provision, and effective use of previously developed land were outweighed by the conflict with development plan policies on countryside development and sustainable accessibility, with the scale of the development (one dwelling) limiting the weight of the benefits.

What the Inspector cited

Development plan policies
Policy SP21Policy SP12Policy SP13Policy SP20Policy IXW1
National Planning Policy Framework
Paragraph 84Paragraph 70Paragraph 11
Judgments
Braintree DC v SSCLG, Greyread Ltd & Granville Developments Ltd [2018] EWCA Civ 610

How the Inspector dealt with each one is set out in the app, in order: the development plan, national policy, housing land supply, other considerations and the planning balance, beside the letter.

See how each was applied

The decision letter

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More decisions in West Suffolk

The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2026

  1. Allowed17 June 20266005559
    Land Opposite 'Mandarin' and Adj to South View, Wilde St, Beck Row, Mildenhall, IP28 8BL
  2. Allowed15 June 20266005556
    Land Between 'Larks Place', And 'Dayspring' Wilde St, Beck Row, Mildenhall, IP28 8BP
  3. Dismissed14 May 20266003142
    Land South Of, Grove Lane, Stanton, Suffolk, IP31 2AR
  4. Dismissed25 March 20263369451
    Land At Pipers Hall Farm, Whepstead Road, Hawstead, Hawstead, Suffolk, IP29 4TG
  5. Dismissed19 March 20266001666
    Land off Manor Lane, Horringer, Suffolk, IP29 5PY

The main issues, what decided it, the planning balance and the policies and judgments listed as cited are read from the published letter by Town Planner Pro and are our summary, not the Inspector’s words; the letter itself is the record. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Research, not advice.

In the app this decision sits on the map beside every appeal around it, with its letter to read and the main issues, policies and judgments cited picked out.