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About the project

The Suffolk Coastal Local Plan 2020 identified approximately 143ha of land for a Garden Neighbourhood to the north of Felixstowe and Trimley St Mary, for a comprehensive leisure led development comprising green infrastructure, community facilities and employment land alongside residential development.

East Suffolk Council is now leading the master planning process with the ambition of submitting an outline planning application in early 2025. It is important to make clear that East Suffolk Council is acting as landowner in this project which is separate from the Local Planning Authority. The project is being treated in the same manner as any other private landowner or developer. In terms of the project being realised we believe this will be a 20-to-30 year project.

Why are ESC doing this?

ESC are taking the lead on the masterplanning process to ensure that a coordinated and sustainable development comes forward which meets the needs of the new and existing community. Without whole site master planning there is a risk that individual landowners will bring forward separate planning applications in isolation creating an uncoordinated and piecemeal development.

It is also a priority for the Council to secure a site for the new leisure centre - which will replace the two ageing centres on the seafront and at Brackenbury - which is an integral part of the ESC leisure strategy. This will come forward as part of the masterplan and will enable the Council to progress towards detailed design and eventual delivery.


Key elements of the masterplan

  • Leisure-led and early delivery of a new leisure centre is a priority
  • Primary school and Early Years provision
  • Protection of the Grove Woodland and provision of accessible natural green space
  • Enhancement of existing landscape for public use as well as Biodiversity Net Gain
  • Community Hub comprising a variety of services and facilities in accessible locations
  • Health provision and medical facilities requirements catered for
  • Open space for recreation through retained space, re-provision, enhancement or new provision
  • Sustain, and enhance the significance of heritage assets
  • Integration of the new Garden Neighbourhood with the existing community of Felixstowe and surrounding countryside
  • A network of pedestrian, cycling and vehicular routes whilst protecting and enhancing local Quiet Lanes
  • Design and layout that supports inclusive use
  • Employment land for non-port related small business units
  • Housing for later life
  • Up to 1440 dwellings, providing a mix of housing types, sizes and tenures (local plan allocation of 2000 less 560 already delivered Trelawny Place)

These elements will be brought forward through Landowner collaboration and community engagement.

Founding principles

Protecting the environment

Nature is protected, enhanced and accessible to people.

Sustainability

Creating communities that are socially, economically, and environmentally sustainable with a focus on equality, diversity, and inclusion.

Strong local vision

A development that creates an exemplar place and a thriving new community that works with and for the wider Felixstowe town.

The design team

LDA Design

Master-planning, Landscape Design, EIA Scoping Town Planning & Coordination of the design team.

LDA Design is excited to be part of the North Felixstowe Garden Neighbourhood Project and looking forward to bringing our multi-disciplinary design expertise. We take a holistic approach to create ambitious, sociable, equitable and more sustainable places.

PJA

Transportation & Highways

Adding value to development planning through integrating transport planning, engineering and placemaking is at the core of PJA’s role on North Felixstowe. A key focus of our work is quantifying the potential transport demand associated with North Felixstowe and collaborating with others on developing sustainable transport solutions to integrate the site seamlessly into the existing transport environment.

SLR

Drainage & Flood Risk

SLR will be helping the project achieve its sustainability goals in relation to water and flood risk. A key part of this will be thinking about how we integrate drainage features into the scheme in a way that both reflects and enhances the landscape.




Expedition Engineering

Energy & Sustainability Consultant

Expedition will be working in collaboration with key stakeholders to set the sustainability vision and principles for North Felixstowe to drive environmentally and socially sustainable outcomes. A key focus of our work will be in developing energy and utilities strategies that support a transition to net zero.



Fenn Wright

Viability, Feasibility & Cost Consultancy

Fenn Wright is the region’s leading independently owned partnership of Chartered Surveyors, commercial property experts and estate agents. We have been actively involved in the delivery of several high profile schemes in East Anglia, and our focus will be providing viability, feasibility and market intelligence to support the design team in delivering the best possible scheme for the site.