High Court ruling

THE Council is understandably disappointed with the ruling, as the Core Strategy of Forest Heath District Council's Local Development Framework represents five years of hard work and consultation. However, we welcome the clarity given by the judgement and that, in relation to Ground 2 of the Claim on potential prejudice to the community, the Judge did not find any procedural defect. 

Today's decision will mean more delay for development plans across the whole of Forest Heath. The Council will need to reassess how it distributes its housing requirement, which remains at 10,100 until 2031, across the District.  What is important is that positive dialogue is established with all our communities to discuss and decide how the future planning of the District can now move forward again, so that much needed homes and jobs can be secured. In Newmarket , options for growth will continue to recognise the international importance of the Horse Racing Industry and we will welcome the ongoing involvement of the racing industry in that.

The ruling was on a narrow technical point of European law.  The processes undertaken by Forest Heath to deliver and test its Core Strategy were understood to be best practice and indeed, are the agreed common practice across all Suffolk authorities.  We believed the work we had undertaken on environmental assessment was presented in the best possible and most accessible way. Indeed, an independent Government inspector had previously ruled that the Core Strategy is sound and a proper planning document for the District.  How plans are prepared in the future will need to take account of both today's judgement and also the emerging changes in the Coalition Government's planning legislation and the future requirements of the Localism Bill, as to how best to engage communities in shaping their future growth.