Our vision for new developments

An article by new Chairman, Terry O’Donoghue; published in The Bury Free Press, August 2026.

Accepting that growth is inevitable, all of us who already live and work in or close to Bury St Edmunds, understand how vitally important it is to retain the character of the town and surrounding villages. Therefore, as the town’s civic charity we felt it important to engage with the public consultation exercise for the ‘West Suffolk Local Plan 2045’. Within the confines of the questionnaire, we tried to convey the fears and aspirations of the residents of the town and wider catchment area. It is interesting how consistent the message has been from those individuals who have contacted the society, members and non-members alike.

There are two distinct aspects to any development in and around the town. Firstly, we have the two conservation areas in the town, one being the medieval grid and town centre. Within its boundary are a great number of listed historic buildings and we expect (backed by a legal requirement) any new developments within this area to protect and even enhance its unique character. As a society, along with other groups in the town, once published we will be looking in detail at the proposals from Greene King regarding the future of their vacated buildings and land, and the conformity to these principles. We also need to protect and conserve the green spaces that surround the core of the town which are so appreciated by the whole community.

Of equal importance, and a greater concern, is the accelerating growth on the edges of the town and surrounding villages. What is of concern is that these new sites are large and, on the face of it, have fewer constraints on design and layout. The result has been a great number of houses spread in a seemingly random pattern, with no real sympathy to the character of the town. Even worse only minimal thought given to meaningful and linked green spaces, or indeed areas where walking would be a pleasurable activity (and a chance to interact as a community). Landscaping should also be part of any scheme. For example, the use of tree planting could soften the edges of these new estates, rather than the stark boundaries we see today.

Accepting the need to embrace growth, what we do expect is commensurate planning in key areas such as the physical infrastructure. Currently we can all see that traffic management and flows appear to have received little consideration. The town is far too often congested on the major routes in and out of the town. What thought has been given to expanding the public transport system to embrace the new developments? It was almost 6 years beyond the original target date before Marham Park was included on the public bus route.

Of far greater concern is the lack of adequate health services serving the expansion of the town and immediate area. The GP and dental practices are under increasing strain. We often see a primary school mentioned in any new development plan but rarely, if ever, the intention to provide modern accessible buildings coupled with an incentive for these practices to set up a new or satellite practice. We are told that the original plans for the new hospital factored in the projected growth in its catchment area. As the final plans appear to be less ambitious in scale, does this still hold true?

To summarise, it is all about having a sense of community. Investing in community assets, important amenities, and green spaces within any new development would pay huge dividends in reducing congestion and, of greater impact, ease the pressure on overstretched existing services. Retaining the character of the town and surrounding West Suffolk will surely keep it as a great place to live and work and bolster the already important economic driver, tourism, which adds millions to the local economy. Part of our remit is to routinely monitor and comment on planning issues affecting the town. We are also actively engaged in many aspects of the town’s green credentials via our ‘Bury in Bloom’ activities. To make us even stronger add your voice to the hundreds of existing Bury Society members.