The first planning application for the Beccles and Worlingham Garden Neighbourhood has been lodged.

It follows extensive pre-application discussions with East Suffolk Council and Suffolk County Council, alongside public engagement held in September 2024 and February and March 2025.

Submitted by WSP on behalf of Larkfleet Ltd, the application covers the "east parcel" of the site.

The bid seeks outline consent for up to 721 homes, with 30% affordable housing and 5% custom-build properties, plus employment land, a local centre, a continuing care retirement community, a primary school, a pre-school and public open space, including playing pitches and parks, alongside other associated infrastructure.

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Across the whole Garden Neighbourhood, around 1,250 new homes are proposed. A single masterplan has been prepared for both the "east parcel" and the "west parcel" to provide a coordinated scheme and shared infrastructure for new and existing residents. An application for the west parcel is anticipated to follow soon.

The site is allocated for development in the East Suffolk Council – Waveney Local Plan, adopted in 2019, under Policy WLP3.1, to help meet housing needs in the north of the district. The Government announced a further increase to East Suffolk's housing need in December 2024.

Residents, consultees and other interested parties can comment on the "east parcel" application via Public Access (reference DC/25/4214/OUT). The submission, including the wider masterplan, is available online. Consultation will run until at least 14 January, with a final decision to be taken by the Strategic Planning Committee.

Further details are available on the Beccles and Worlingham Garden Neighbourhood page of the East Suffolk Council website.

In October, East Suffolk Council approved £4.2 million of Community Infrastructure Levy funding to expand Beccles Medical Centre, helping to address the population growth and its impact on primary healthcare arising from this Local Plan allocation.