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Copdock & Washbrook Neighbourhood Plan
The Copdock & Washbrook Neighbourhood Development Plan (NDP) has been prepared by the Parish Council and local community and will be used to help guide and shape future development in the parish.
Reg 20 Formal adoption (5 August 2025)
In an 'Officer Decision’, effective from Tuesday 5 August 2025, Babergh District Council have agreed to adopt ('make) the Copdock & Washbrook NDP.
This NDP, which covers the plan period to 2037, now forms part of the development plan and will be used to help determine planning applications in the parish unless material considerations indicate otherwise.
- Read the adopted Copdock & Washbrook NDP (May 2025)
- Read the adoption Decision Statement
- See the 'Officer Decision' documentation
Supporting evidence
The following documents provide supporting evidence to the adopted NDP:
- Housing Needs Assessment (AECOM, Jun 2019)
- Landscape Appraisal (AFA, Nov 2023)
- Design Guidelines (AECOM, Oct 2024)
Previous stages...
Local Referendum (24 July 2025)
A local referendum was held on 24 July 2025. The question asked of those entitled to vote was: 'Do you want Babergh District Council to use the Neighbourhood Plan for Copdock & Washbrook to help it decide planning applications in the Neighbourhood Plan Area?'
- See the declared result (a majority yes vote)
Reg 18 Decision Statement (28 Mar 2025)
Procedures agreed in late 2021 meant that a NDP could be advanced to a local referendum without Cabinet approval where there was no objection to implementing the Examiner's recommendations in full. That applied in this case, with our decision confirmed through publication of the following statement:
Reg 17 Examination (Final Report 17 March 2025)
Babergh District Council appointed Ann Skippers BSc (Hons) MRTPI FRSA AoU to carry out an independent examination of the Copdock & Washbrook NDP. As part of the examination, a focused consultation exercise was carried out on a new Design Guidelines document.
On Monday 17 March 2025, the Examiner issued her final report. It recommended that, subject to certain modifications, the submission draft NDP met the basic condition tests and could proceed to a local referendum.
- Read the Cop-Wash NDP Exam Report (Mar 2025)
- See the Examination Correspondence document
- Read the Design Guidelines representations (Feb 2025)
Reg 16 Submission consultation (7 May to 21 June 2024)
The new submission draft Copdock & Washbrook NDP was made available for public consultation between 7 May and 21 June 2024.
The Parish Council (the Qualifying Body) had submitted the following documents:
- A Map identifying the NDP Area
- The submission draft Cop-Wash NDP 2023 - 2037
- A Consultation Statement (Jan 2024)
- A Basic Conditions Statement (Jan 2024)
- A Housing Needs Assessment, and a Landscape Appraisal [now published with the adopted NDP]
- A March 2023 Design Guidelines document [subsequently replaced by the Oct 2024 version]
- Copies of the SEA & HRA Screening Reports, and our Determination Notices [published further below]
An assessment on how this NDP met the basic condition tests formed part of the examination. Our initial checks suggested that the relevant procedural requirements had been met at this stage. See our Regulation 15 Checklist.
Respondents were also reminded that their comments would be shared with the Examiner and, with the exception of personal details, be published on this webpage. The Parish Council were also given the opportunity to respond to new issues raised at this stage.
- See the Reg 16 consultation responses (includes the Parish Council response)
SEA/HRA Screening and Determination (July 2023)
The 2023 pre-submission draft NDP was screened to determine whether a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) and or a Habitats Assessment (HRA) were required. Both were 'screened-out'. The relevant documents are published below:
- Read the Cop-Wash NDP SEA Screening Opinion (LUC, May 2023)
- Read the Cop-Wash NDP SEA Determination Notice (July 2023)
- Read the Cop-Wash NDP HRA Screening Report (LUC, May 2023)
- Read the Cop-Wash NDP HRA Determination Notice (July 2023)
Reg 14 Pre-submission consultation (11 Mar - 28 Apr 2023)
Pre-submission consultation on the NDP ended on 28 April 2023.