Bures Neighbourhood Plan

Bures Hamlet and Bures St Mary are preparing a Neighbourhood Development Plan (NDP). When complete, it will be used to help guide and shape future development across the two parishes.

This NDP also covers the two district council areas of Babergh and Braintree. Babergh District Council are acting as the lead local authority. Please also see Braintree District Council's dedicated webpage for this NDP.

Latest news...

Reg 17 Examination (Focused consultation - ended 29 May 2026)

By mutual agreement, Ann Skippers BSc (Hons) MRTPI FRSA AoU has been appointed to carry out an independent examination of the Bures NDP. A report was issued on 20 April 2026 but was then immediately withdrawn.

Focused consultation - new Basic Condition test etc. (11 May to 29 May 2026)

New provisions relating to how neighbourhood plans must be examined came into force on 25 March 2026 through Section 98 and Section 99 of the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act (LURA) 2023. The Examiner must now consider the Bures NDP against these new provisions before she can issue a new report.

An explanatory note from the Examiner gives more detail but, in summary, Section 98 of the LURA amends the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 by introducing new legal compliance matters relating to climate change and taking account of local nature recovery strategies, while Section 99 amends the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 by replacing the 'general conformity' basic condition with a new requirement that 'the making of the plan would not result in less housing development taking place in its area if was not made'.

At the Examiners request, a focused consultation exercise on whether or not these new provisions have implications for the Bures NDP took place between 11 May and 29 May 2026. 

Previous stages...

Reg 16 Submission consultation (ended 14 Nov 2025)

The Bures NDP was submitted to Babergh District Council and Braintree District Council in Spring 2025. After making some amendments to the Consultation Statement, and in accordance with Regulation 16 of the Neighbourhood Planning (General) Regulations 2012 (as amended), both Councils made this NDP available for public consultation between 29 September and 14 November 2025.

A list of the submitted documents appears below. 

An assessment on how this NDP meets the basic condition tests will form part of the examination (see 'latest news'). Initial checks suggested that the relevant procedural requirements had been met at this stage. See the Regulation 15 Checklist.

Respondents were also reminded that their comments could not be treated as confidential and that, with the exception of personal contact details, they would be made publicly accessible on both council websites. Those, and the response to these from both parish councils are published below:

SEA/HRA Screening and Determination (Nov 2024)

The pre-submission draft Bures NDP was screened to determine whether a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) and or a Habitats Assessment (HRA) were required. Both were 'screened out'. 

The screening assessment, carried out by the consultants appointed by the Bures NDP Team, and the joint Determination Notice issued by Babergh District Council and Braintree District Council are published below:

Reg 14 pre-submission consultation (2 Sept to 28 Oct 2024)

Consultation on the pre-submission draft Bures NDP by the two parish councils closed on 28 October 2024. 

Reg 7 Area Designation (Nov 2021)

A joint application made by Bures Hamlet and Bures St Mary to designate their two parishes as a single NDP Area was received and consulted on by Braintree and Babergh District Councils between 1 September and 15 October 2021. No objections were received. 

In accordance with their governance procedures, the two planning authorities agreed to designate the Bures NDP Area.