Haverhill Town Centre Masterplan is approved by St Edmundsbury Borough Council

St Edmundsbury Borough Council’s full council meeting voted in favour of adopting The Haverhill Town Centre Masterplan as a supplementary planning document when it met last night (Tuesday).

ONE Haverhill appointed David Lock Associates to develop the masterplan after widespread consultation and it will now be used as part of the borough councils Vision 2031 Development Plan Document.

Cllr Alaric Pugh, cabinet member for planning and growth, said at the meeting: “I have to express thanks to the One Haverhill partnership and the many other partner organisations who have been involved in the development of this.”

Cllr Tony Brown, Haverhill East ward member, said: “The Haverhill Town Council and other parties really pulled all the stops out on this one, and no stone was left unturned.

“Every home in Haverhill was leafleted. Anyone who wanted to say something about the plans had the chance to do so.”

While supporting the motion, fellow ward councillor John Burns expressed reservations about the traffic situation in the town centre.

He said: “I would like to see the High Street move forward. We really need to do something about that to get those cars that constantly park on the pavement back into the car parks.

“I would also like the aspiration we mentioned about the north/south relief road being included at some point.”

Cllr David Roach stressed the importance of ‘moving the plan forward’.

“We need to invest in it and actually get something done with it,” he said.

Cllr Pugh said a proposal for an ANPR traffic survey had received ‘enthusiastic support’ from Suffolk County Council.