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 (Final Report and Addendum - 17 June 2026)

By mutual agreement, Ann Skippers BSc (Hons) MRTPI FRSA AoU was appointed to carry out an independent examination of the Bures NDP. This relied on the submitted documents, and all made written representations. 

A final report was issued on 20 April 2026 but was then immediately withdrawn to allow time for a focused consultation exercise to be carried out on whether or not new provisions introduced through Section 98 and Section 99 of the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act (LURA) 2023; and which came into immediate force on 25 March 2026, had any implications for the Bures NDP. More information relating to these new provisions were set out in an explanatory note issued by the Examiner on 1 May 2026. The consultation itself took place between 11 May and 29 May 2026.

On 17 June 2026, the Examiner issued both a revised Final Report [a note added to the front cover] and an Addendum Report. The former details a number of proposed modifications to be made to the plan. The latter addresses the LURA matters. Both should be read together.

See also:

The Neighbourhood Planning regulations now require both district councils to decide on what action to take in response to each recommendation set out in the exam report. We will publish a joint decision on this in due course. 

In the meantime, Planning Practice Guidance provides advice on the weight that is now attached to this post-examination plan.

Previous stages...

Reg 16 Submission consultation (ended 14 Nov 2025)

The Bures NDP was submitted to Babergh District Council and Braintree District Council's in Spring 2025. After amendments had been made to the Consultation Statement, and in accordance with Regulation 16 of the Neighbourhood Planning (General) Regulations 2012 (as amended), the plan was made 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 met the basic condition tests formed part of the examination. Initial checks suggested that the relevant procedural requirements had been met at this stage. See the Regulation 15 Checklist.

Respondents were reminded that their comments could not be treated as confidential and that, with the exception of personal contact details, they would be published on both council websites. Those, and the response to them 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 Babergh and Braintree 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.