Hitcham Neighbourhood Plan

The Hitcham 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.

Hitcham NDP Review

Hitcham Parish Council are reviewing their adopted NDP to ensure that it remains relevant and up to date. Amongst other things, it is expected that this review plan will include site allocations for new housing. 

The adopted Hitcham NDP (Nov 2025)

Reg 20 Formal adoption (7 Nov 2025)

In an 'Officer Decision', effective from Friday 7 November 2025, Babergh District Council agreed to adopt ('make') the Hitcham NDP.

Covering the period to 2037, the NDP now forms part of the development plan and will be used to help determine planning applications in the parish unless material considerations indicate otherwise.

Supporting evidence

Previous stages

Local Referendum (30 Oct 2025) 

A local referendum was held on 30 October 2025. The question asked of those entitled to vote was: 'Do you want Babergh District Council to use the Neighbourhood Plan for Hitcham to help it decide planning applications in the Neighbourhood Plan Area?'

Updated Design Guidelines document

An updated Design Guidelines and Codes document, which addressed matters identified in the Examination Report, was published alongside the referendum version Plan in September 2025. It can now be found with the other Supporting evidence documents published further above.

Reg 18 Decision Statement (20 Jun 2025)

Procedures agreed in September 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 the decision confirmed through publication of the following statement:

Reg 17 Examination (Final Report 10 June 2025)

Babergh District Council appointed Janet Cheesley BA (Hons) DipTP MRTPI to carry out an independent examination of the Hitcham NDP. The examination relied on the submitted documents and written representations.

On Tuesday 10 June 2025, the Examiner issued her final report. It recommended that subject to certain modifications being made, this NDP would meet the basic condition tests and that it should proceed to a local referendum.

Reg 16 Submission consultation (ended 9 May 2025)

The submission draft Hitcham NDP was made available for public consultation between 24 March and 9 May 2025. The Parish Council (the qualifying body) had submitted the following documents: 

An assessment on how this NDP met the basic condition tests formed part of the examination. At the time of submission, our checks suggested that the relevant procedural requirements had been met. See our Regulation 15 Checklist.

Respondents were also reminded that that their comments would be forwarded to the Examiner and, with the exception of personal contact details, be published on this webpage. Hitcham Parish Council were also given the opportunity to respond to new issues raised at this stage.

Reg 14 Pre-submission consultation (13 Jul - 30 Aug 2024)

Consultation by Hitcham Parish Council on their pre-submission draft NDP closed on 30 August 2024. 

SEA/HRA Screening and Determination (July 2024)

The pre-submission draft Hitcham 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 reports and our determination notice are published below:

Reg 05 Area Designation (20 Jan 2020)