Last phase of 265-home plan at airfield approved

The last phase of a major 265-home development at a former airfield has been unanimously backed by councillors.

On Wednesday, Mid Suffolk District Council discussed plans submitted by Persimmon Homes for the second and final phase of the development on land south of Eye Airfield in Suffolk.

The council granted outline planning consent for the whole project in 2018 for up to 280 homes, before giving reserved matters permission for its first phase in 2022.

A single objection was received for the latest phase, citing concerns over a lack of community consultation and overdevelopment, which added to the 55 objections received after the initial submission.

The second phase decision was initially deferred by councillors in April, so changes to the plans could be made.

The amendments included alterations to the design, the materials, the layout, the scale of two plots and the number of street trees, the Local Democracy Reporting Service reported.

Christopher Smith, senior planner at Persimmon, said the company believed the development was of a high quality following the changes.

Officers said concerns had been adequately addressed and recommended the plans for approval, subject to conditions which included making homes future-proofed for the installation of solar panels.

The final phase will see 53 homes built that were considered "affordable".

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