Bury Road Woolpit

As you may be aware, planning permission was granted by Mid Suffolk District Council in August 2020 for the development of Bury Road, Woolpit.

The development will consist of up to 300 new homes and will include two-bedroom apartments, two-bedroom bungalows, and two to five-bedroom homes, including a number of Affordable Homes, both rented and shared ownership. These will be delivered in partnership with a housing association. It will also include land for a new primary school as well as the construction of a new spine road, burial ground extension, village car park, and associated infrastructure. The final masterplan for the site is shown below:

The development is being built by Hopkins Homes, one of the largest independent house builders in East Anglia. We pride ourselves on the quality of the homes we create and the strength of our links with the local community.

Work started on site on Monday 15th August 2022. The sales centre and show home is expected to open end March 2024.

Site update – February 2024

Essential works will be carried out to facilitate a new roundabout on the A1088, as well as changes and modifications to the A14 junction 47 / A1088 on and off slip roads.  This work will provide a permanent access into the housing development.

This work will include a new road design, new lighting and signage, along with resurfacing of the area.  Advanced Warning Signs will be erected near the site advising of the start date, but the following is expected:

w/c 29th Jan to March – A1088 from Elmswell roundabout to Woolpit slip roads closed in one direction – westbound only (access to A14 slips and Elmswell Roundabout from Woolpit maintained).  During March, traffic should now be using the new roundabout to access the slip roads.

End March – WEEKEND (Friday night – Monday morning).  Westbound slip road closure.  2-way traffic signals will control traffic on the A1088.

End March to May – Off peak slip road lane closures.  Roundabout is fully open but with a temporary road surface.

May – OVERNIGHT (20.00 – 06.00) slip road closures.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How can I get in touch with the site team?

We have created a Community Liaison Service so you can ask questions or raise any concerns relating to our work or our contractors. This service is handled by Athene Communications and we are required to inform you that your data (name and contact details if provided) will be stored for the sole purpose of responding to your query. Athene will respond directly to you, and where appropriate, investigate matters on site.

You can make contact by emailing community@buryroad-woolpit.co.uk or by calling our Freephone number 0800 0352874. This is an answer phone service, which is checked regularly on weekdays.

Q: Will I be affected by construction on site?

There is no doubting the need for new homes – both nationally and locally – but we do also appreciate that building houses can cause some disruption to local people through construction noise and traffic. We are committed to keeping such disruption to a minimum.

Q: What are the working hours on site?

An application to confirm the working hours is being presently considered by Mid Suffolk District Council. The working hours proposed are:

• 07:30am – 6.00pm Monday to Friday
• 08:00am – 1.00pm Saturday

No works shall be carried out on Sundays or Public Holidays.

Some roadworks by the A14 may be undertaken overnight.

External work should not begin before the approved hours, however, please be aware that our construction teams are able to arrive on site earlier to set up and prevent any congestion.

The proposed hours are common for many other local construction sites in the district.

Q: When will major works commence – such as the new roundabout on Bury Road, Woolpit?

All works are subject to statutory approvals and booking road space with Suffolk County Council. Therefore, we cannot advise on any specific dates at this early stage of the development. We will update the website as soon as we have more information about this.

Q: What impact will the construction have on local traffic?

We understand the construction period will result in more vehicles using the road, however we will endeavour to keep the disruption to a minimum. We regularly inspect site entrances to minimise mud and dust and will clean when required.

We are making every effort to prevent construction traffic from travelling through the village. All contractors are issued with the correct route of access and we have provided a clear map to all our delivery partners with instructions that advise them to enter the site from north of The Street.

There is also signage inside the site directing traffic correctly upon leaving.

If you see anything that you feel needs to be addressed, please contact us by emailing community@buryroad-woolpit.co.uk or by calling the Freephone number: 0800 0352 874 so that we can investigate this for you.

Q: Flooding and drainage concerns.

As part of the planning and technical design process, Hopkins Homes has undertaken detailed assessments of flood risk and consulted with the Lead Local Flood Authority and Anglian Water. The works undertaken as part of the development have been approved by the relevant bodies to ensure that the development does not have a detrimental impact on the current infrastructure and risks of flooding have been addressed.

The Site lies in an area classified as Flood Zone 1, indicating a low probability of river or sea flooding. The site also has a low probability of surface water flooding.

Q: What measures are in place to manage noise levels?

We do our best to keep disruption to a minimum, though our construction will unavoidably cause some noise. Workforce and resident safety are of the utmost importance to Hopkins Homes and the reversing beepers that you may be hearing are necessary to ensure the protection of everyone on the site.

Contractors will, however, ensure the best practicable steps are taken to reduce noise levels and ensure compliance with statutory legislation.

Subcontractors are also reminded to keep their music within the permitted level.

If at any point you feel that the noise is on-going outside of our standard working hours please get in touch with us via community@buryroad-woolpit.co.uk or by calling the Freephone number: 0800 0352 874 and we will look into this.

Q: What are you doing to reduce the impact of any dust?

The UK has at times experienced extremely dry periods and we understand the implications of this for residents living near construction work.

We are doing what we can to reduce any impact of dust by making sure that mitigation measures are in place on-site.

As part of the mitigation strategy, the following measures are in place:

• Reduced speed limits
• Maintaining a distance from sensitive boundaries when the wind is in the wrong direction
• Road sweeping
• Damping down, which includes the use of a tractor with a bowser as required and of a fire hydrant

Q: What about when it becomes rainy and muddy?

Mud will be controlled with continual wheel washing and a road sweeper will attend to carry out a road sweep when necessary.

Q: I would potentially like to buy one of the properties on this development – who should I contact?

Our community liaison service is focused on acknowledging and addressing enquiries and concerns relating to the construction of the development. If you are interested in purchasing a new home please register your interest on The Elms, Woolpit, development page.