Residents invited to meeting to discuss Bury West scheme

30 Jul 2025

Donna Higgins and Richard O’Driscoll, District Councillors for Minden Ward have arranged for a public meeting for residents to explain the outcome of the recent Planning appeal for a site on the West of Bury St Edmunds.

This meeting is arranged for Monday 4 August at 6:30pm at the Westbury Community Centre. The need for the meeting is reflected in the unique nature of the application site which was subject to several different applications over a number of years. As such local ward members recognise that local residents may have a number of questions, and they hope to clarify what the appeal secured.  

The Bury West scheme by Pigeon will deliver up to 485 homes. It had been refused planning permission by West Suffolk Council over a number of issues including the lack of a complete relief road, and the developers lodged a planning appeal in 2024.

Before the planning appeal commenced in April West Suffolk planning officers worked with Suffolk County Council and Pigeon in an effort to address the issues with the refused scheme. This resulted in an amended scheme that complied with national and local planning policies.

The scheme, subsequently allowed by the appeal includes additional affordable housing beyond that required under planning policy, and funding for the expansion of local GP surgeries, primary and secondary education places and enhancements to local sports, leisure, and library services.

The development will also deliver new and improved active travel walking and cycling infrastructure, to be delivered by the County Council, as well as a new regular bus service.

There will be the creation of a new on-site pre-school and a new country park to the west of Bury St Edmunds - providing significant ecological enhancements for the local area.

Working alongside the County Council a relief road will be delivered for the benefit of Westley and Bury St Edmunds.

On Monday, Cllr Richard O’Driscoll, Cabinet Member for Housing, and Cllr Donna Higgins, Cabinet Member for Families and Communities who both represent the Minden Ward, will meet with residents from the Westley Estate and Westley village to discuss the housing scheme and answer questions that residents may have.

Cllr O’Driscoll said: “There is a real need for more housing and more affordable homes in our communities as illustrated by the thousands of households on our housing register and the number of households we are working with to prevent or lift out of homelessness. However, that cannot be to the detriment of existing residents and communities.

“How those homes are delivered is also important which is why we have planning policies in place. The newly approved scheme represents growth that is both sustainable and supported by appropriate infrastructure that benefits existing communities as well as the future residents of West Suffolk.”

Cllr Higgins said: “As Cabinet and ward members we are pushing to deliver greater engagement with our communities. We appreciate that residents will have lots of questions about the scheme and the changes that were negotiated after the council refused planning permission. This is a chance for people to come along and find out more.”

The meeting takes place at Westley Community Centre at 6.30pm on Monday (4 August). All are welcome.

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