Development Strategy

13.2 Bury St Edmunds will accommodate major levels of housing and economic growth over the period to 2016. Further retail and leisure development will also enhance the town's sub-regional role and improve the balance between homes and facilities, reducing the need to travel. In accommodating major levels of growth it is recognised that Bury St Edmunds has the potential to achieve a significant amount of new development on previously developed land. Table 1 below shows the proposed distribution of new housing development in the town by land type.

Table 1 - Housing Land Supply in Bury St Edmunds 2004 - 2016

13.3 The development of vacant and underused land will take priority over the release of further greenfield sites. The Borough Council has prepared an Urban Capacity Study which shows that there is potential for an estimated 1,250 dwellings on previously developed land and underused sites around the town. Since the study was prepared, some of these sites have been developed or now have planning permission and hence there is now potential for an estimated 1190 dwellings on previously developed land andbr /> underused sites around the town. Policy BSE 1 below allocates a number of the larger brownfield sites identified through the Urban Capacity Study for residential redevelopment and these are shown on the Proposals Map.

POLICY BSE1: HOUSING ON BROWNFIELD SITES - BURY ST EDMUNDS

The following brownfield sites are allocated for residential development during the period 2004 - 2016.

13.4 In preparing the Urban Capacity Study, an assessment has been made as to when brownfield sites are likely to come forward. Table 2 below shows there is enough capacity in existing commitments and brownfield sites in Bury St Edmunds to necessitate the allocation of only one greenfield site to accommodate 50 dwellings, to be phased in towards the end of the Plan period.

Table 2 - Phased Release of Housing Land in Bury St Edmunds