NEIGHBOURHOOD DEVELOPMENT PLAN SUPPORT

EXPRESSION OF INTEREST FORM

April 2026

On 26
th
March 2026, Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Councils announced their intention to step in
and provide additional financial support (subject to certain criteria being met) to assist those Town
and Parish Councils wanting to bring forward a Neighbourhood Development Plan (NDP).

Elsewhere, we have explained what our current support offer consists off, including officer support
and advice on good practice as well as financial help to cover the first stage of environmental
screening, and covering the key costs following the submission of a draft NDP to us.

We want to understand what extra funding you might need to help take forward a Neighbourhood
Development Plan through the early stages of the process. By filling in this expression‑of‑interest
form, you will help us work out what support is needed before and up to the point of formal
submission. Please answer as many questions as you can.

Completed forms should be sent to: communityplanning@baberghmidsuffolk.gov.uk

Contact Details:

Name of Town / Parish
Council:
East Bergholt Parish Council
Primary Contact:
(Name, e-mail address, tel no.)

Graham White
parish.clerk@eastbergholtpc.co.uk
07801 368283
Unit 4CD, The Gattinetts Business Centre
Hadleigh Road
East Bergholt
CO7 6QT

Role (e.g. Parish Clerk): Parish Clerk

Getting started:

Q1: What, if any, previous interest has there been for preparing an NDP in your parish?
[If yes, what prevented that plan from coming forwards?]
NDP completed and operative since 2016. It is currently under review.

Q2: What do you consider to be the primary land-use planning issues that will be
addressed through your NDP?
Housing allocations

Q3: Have you already identified / set up a Steering Group to deliver the NDP?
Yes. There is in place a review steering committee and a Parish Council Neighbourhood Plan
Committee.

Q4: What engagement have you already undertaking / are preparing to undertake within
your locality?
The NDP has been under review since 2019. The Council has engaged in widespread consultation
with residents. The Regulation 14 pre-submission consultation is planned for September 2026.

The NDP Area:

Q5: Has your NDP area been designated? [If not, is the area designation application
imminent?]
Yes

Q6: Have you considered producing a ‘Joint NDP’ with neighbouring parishes?

No

Funding your plan:

Please note that any application for grant monies would also need the support of your Ward
Councillor or Councillors.

Q7: Have you already identified / allocated other sources of funding (e.g. Neighbourhood
Community Infrastructure Levy) towards covering the costs of preparing your NDP?

To date we have relied upon locality funding and our own budget to fund necessary reports.

Q8: Why is the grant payment needed, and what would you be looking to spend that
money on? [As appropriate, please itemise your response and indicate whether you have
already obtained written quotes for that work]
In the absence of any more locality funding we would use a Babergh DC grant to carry out SEA
and HRA reports on sites that we propose to allocate in our revised NDP. We expect this
work to cost between £10-15,000

Other considerations:

Q9: Through developing a Local Plan for the Districts, the Councils will be revising
indicative housing numbers for NDP areas. Will your NDP seek to allocate sites for
housing development in accordance with a future indicative housing requirement?
As far as is possible given no definitive housing allocations for East Bergholt have yet been
brought forward by Babergh DC.

Q10: When do you consider you would have first draft Plan ready for consultation?
September 2026

Q11: Would you be interested in using artificial intelligence to help produce your NDP?
No

Thank you for taking the time to complete this form. If we have any further questions, we will
be back in touch.