Yesterday I met with the owners of the village shop in Kedington. Also present were their advisors. They are a lovely, hardworking couple providing a fantastic facility for the village. Many villages have lost their shops and are the worse for it.
They are seeking to build a new shop near the British Legion. The current shop has issues around parking and access for the delivery lorries. The owners want to expand the shop for commercial reasons.
The owners have carried out some local consultation and in fairness I was told there has been both positive and negative responses.
I had a look at the plans.
But …………… and it is a very big but. The plot they want to build the new shop on is outside the development area in the current local plan. As I have mentioned in other posts the local plan is arrived at through a democratic process over a number of years and specifies where development can take place.
Kedington is particularly sensitive to building outside the development area as it is keen that all the new building in Haverhill does not join up with the village.
I am sure this will keep me busy for a while.
Nick Clarke 
It’s so nice to receive information regarding planning etc this way as not everyone has time to access information regarding issues that could affect the village where we live using West Suffolk website direct. Thank you Nick.
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if planning was granted outside the current development area surely that would be setting a president
I’m not in favour of this proposition. Other residents when they moved to or already lived in the village were aware of where the shop was situated
The owners of the shop, whom are I am sure very pleasant, knew what they were getting when they bought the shop which was located in the old centre of the village
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Hi Nick.
The planning application is not on West Suffolk as of yet. So
I am assuming the application has not been entered yet. So do you know when it will be added as we need to work residents to ascertain their views and concerns. This must be totally independent to the Shop owners. They are really lovely people but it is important we remain impartial. I would suggest a the very least a public meeting if this does to planning. The residents are very much divided on this matter. Once planning application is officially entered the Parish Council will move this matter forward. Thanks Ann
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Hi Anne, my understanding is an application will be soon
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