Rougham Hill redevelopment is given planning approval

05 Aug 2026

A redevelopment to improve a gateway off the A14 into Bury St Edmunds, creating jobs and income for public services, has today been given planning approval.

West Suffolk Council, which owns the redundant former household waste site at Rougham Hill, submitted a planning application last year for its redevelopment. The council then submitted a revised application earlier this year to address issues raised by consultees. Those plans were approved by councillors on West Suffolk’s Development Control Committee earlier today (5 August).

The redevelopment includes a new Aldi supermarket to support the nearby housing development as well as the wider town and surrounding villages, alongside a drive through Wendy’s restaurant. It follows the marketing of the site through Carter Jonas in 2022 to understand all potential active interests and uses.

Both Aldi and Wendy’s would create around 40 new jobs each. It would also generate an asset and long-term income stream towards supporting the cost of day-to-day council services – currently its share of Council Tax covers just 16 per cent of what it costs West Suffolk Council to deliver its services to its communities.

A public consultation was held by the council in Spring last year with the majority of responses in favour of the proposed development. Comments received then and in response to the planning application, fed into the plans that were agreed today.

Cllr Diane Hind, Cabinet Member for Resources at West Suffolk Council, said: “I very much welcome today’s decision by members of the Development Control Committee to approve the redevelopment of the former waste site at Rougham Hill, Bury St Edmunds.”

“This is a major milestone in the delivery of this redevelopment and seeing the site brought back into use. It will improve the look and feel of this important gateway site into the town in line with the Council’s strategic priority for sustainable growth. It will create local jobs and bring a site which once served as the household waste site visited by thousands of vehicles every week, back into use, complementing the housing development nearby. It will also add further long-term income to support the cost of public services.”

“The council will now take steps to bring the redevelopment forward and look forward to being able to announce more details including timescales, in due course.”

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