PRESS RELEASE: Conversation launched on a sustainable future for Bildeston
- Lynda Croft
- Jul 17
- 3 min read
We have issued a press release on behalf of the Buckle family and their hopes for Bildeston's future:
A conversation has been launched about Bildeston’s long-term future, with a call for residents, businesses, and the wider community to help shape a vision for how future growth can be delivered in a sustainable way that protects the character, heritage, and qualities that make the village special.
Started by the local Buckle Family following conversations with other residents, the launch comes as national and local planning policy places increasing pressure on communities to accommodate new homes. The Government has significantly increased housing requirements across the country, and Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Councils are
preparing a new Joint Local Plan to guide development through to 2045. In Babergh, the housing requirement has increased by 86%.
The Buckle family, whose businesses employ more than 320 people across the region, including 110 in Babergh, said their ambition is to see any future development become a natural extension of the existing village, with any homes built alongside the infrastructure needed to support them, including improved services and community facilities, as well as delivering employment opportunities for local people. Crucially though, exactly how any growth is delivered and what this looks like will be designed alongside the local community.
Charles Buckle commented: “As a family, we have a deep and long connection to Bildeston,
going back over 50 years. Our relationship with the local area and community means we care deeply about its future, which is why we want to start this conversation.
“Given the pressure for new housing, local development, somewhere and in some form, is inevitable – if it is to happen, we want to see it done properly and in line with the wishes and aspirations of the local community. We want to hear from residents, businesses and community organisations about what matters most to them and how Bildeston can remain a thriving and sustainable village for future generations."
To help achieve this, there will be an open and collaborative design process, which unlike traditional planning consultations where communities are often asked to comment on largely completed proposals, residents, businesses and stakeholders will be brought into the process from the outset. This will see design ideas developed and tested in
real time, allowing local knowledge to help shape the vision, challenge proposals and influence decisions as plans evolve.
To ensure everyone living and working in Bildeston knows about this conversation and has the opportunity to have their say, a Give My View website
has been set up to share background information about development in the area and how to get involved. In August, residents will have a chance to participate in a survey to share what is important to them about their community and how they’d like to see it developed. There will also be community engagement workshops open to everyone in the village which will take place in early September.
The workshops in September follow on from an initial conversation that was held with a small number of representatives of the local community to help shape the future discussion. Following this conversation, some of those involved offered their support for the process.
George Miller, local resident, said: "Our village has always been shaped by the people who live here, and that's what makes Bildeston such a special place. This is a chance for everyone to share what they value most and the ideas they have for the future, so we can build on what's already great about our community."
Liz Moss, Chamberlin Hall committee member, added: "Housing developments in other villages often feel like they've been added with little thought for the communities already there. We know Bildeston will need to grow too, but if we get involved now we can help make sure new homes are planned in the right way - with the infrastructure, services and
character of the village at the heart of every decision. If we don't speak up, we'll have no influence at all, so I welcome the opportunity to get involved in shaping how our community might develop.".
