by District Councillor Sarah Pugh
The Council recently met and agreed to proceed with the development of the Western Way site in Bury St Edmunds. This is a project to provide updated leisure facilities together with integrated community facilities through a partnership with the NHS , Suffolk County Council and other agencies. The new Hub will offer work space that can be rented, non-urgent primary care in the community, a new library, big skate park and on-site parking. The Council recently opened a similar type of Hub in Mildenhall and that is proving very popular. The existing Leisure Centre in Bury will be demolished and a new one built.
The Local Plan which is currently being prepared for publication in July 2024 has raised a number of concerns in various villages and West Suffolk Council have issued a revised timetable for consultations. The next consultation for the public will be from March – May 2022. The comments will then be fed into the Plan and an amended Plan will be made available for public consultation from February-April 2023. It will be revised and then submitted to the Secretary of State in June 2023. In September 2023 there will be an examination in public and final modifications will be made in February 2024. It will be submitted to the Inspector in May 2024 and adopted by West Suffolk Council in July 2024.