Gospel Centre Castle Street Eye Suffolk IP23 7AW
Refused on 27 June 2025
Delegated (officer decision)2 reasons for refusal
Boundary © HM Land Registry, © Ordnance Survey · details
This information is subject to Crown copyright and database rights 2026 and is reproduced with the permission of HM Land Registry. The polygons (including the associated geometry, namely x, y co-ordinates) are subject to Crown copyright and database rights 2026 Ordnance Survey AC0000851063. Conditions of use.
Proposal
Full Planning Application - Change of use from F1 (Learning and non-residential institutions) to C3 (Dwellinghouse), installation of 4no. rooflights, and construction of dropped kerb.
- Received
- 13 December 2024
- Decision level
- Delegated (officer decision)
- Public comments
- 21
- Council
- Babergh District Council
- Ward
- Eye
- ReceivedReceived13 Dec
- ValidatedValidated14 Dec
- Consult.Consultation28 Apr
- TargetTarget Date20 Jun
- DecidedDecided27 Jun
Decided in 195 days (council typically 49)
About this application
This is a full planning application for a change of use at Gospel Centre Castle Street Eye Suffolk IP23 7AW. Babergh Mid Suffolk has handled 5,907 applications of this type. This one was decided in 196 days, 21 weeks longer than Babergh Mid Suffolk's typical decision time. The site is in the Eye conservation area, with 20 listed buildings nearby. There are no previous applications recorded at this address. In the past year there have been 50 applications across Eye. We hold 1,281 applications in total for the IP23 postcode area.
90% of full applications at Babergh District Council were approved. Across all application types, the council typically decides in about 7 weeks (median).
Based on decided applications received in the last 3 years.Planning something similar? See what gets approved on your street
Why it was refused
- REASON FOR REFUSAL: UNACCEPTABLE HIGHWAY SAFETY IMPACT CONTRARY TO POLICY LP29 AND NPPF The proposed development fails to demonstrate that safe and suitable access can be achieved for all users, contrary to Policy LP29 of the Babergh and Mid Suffolk Joint Local Plan (2023), Paragraphs 115 and 116 of the National Planning Policy Framework (2024), and the Suffolk Design Streets Guide. The submitted visibility splays are inadequate, with the westward splay crossing third-party land and failing to meet the required 2.4m x 25m standard for a 20mph road. This results in an unacceptable impact on highway safety, particularly in the context of the site's location on a Class B carriageway. The proposal therefore presents a clear and demonstrable risk to public safety and cannot be supported.
- REASON FOR REFUSAL: LOSS OF COMMUNITY FACILITY WITHOUT SUFFICIENT JUSTIFICATION CONTRARY TO POLICY LP28 The proposed development would result in the loss of a community facility (Use Class F1) without sufficient evidence to demonstrate that the facility is no longer viable or needed for an alternative community use. The application lacks a formal marketing report, viability assessment, or community needs analysis, and does not demonstrate that the marketing approach was agreed in advance with the Local Planning Authority, as required by Policy LP28 of the Babergh and Mid Suffolk Joint Local Plan (2023). As such, the proposal fails to meet the policy requirements for the loss of a community service and is therefore unacceptable in principle. SUMMARY OF POLICIES WHICH ARE RELEVANT TO THE DECISION: SP03 - The sustainable location of new development SP09 - Enhancement and Management of the Environment SP10 - Climate Change LP04 - Replacement Dwellings and Conversions LP15 - Environmental Protection and Conservation LP16 - Biodiversity & Geodiversity LP17 - Landscape LP19 - The Historic Environment LP23 - Sustainable Construction and Design LP24 - Design and Residential Amenity LP27 - Flood risk and vulnerability LP28 - Services and Facilities Within the Community LP29 - Safe, Sustainable and Active Transport Eye Neighbourhood Plan NPPF - National Planning Policy Framework PPG- Planning Practice Guidance
From the council's decision notice.
Application details
- Postcode
- IP23 7AW
- Application type
- Full Planning Application
- Scale / size
- Medium
- Parish
- Eye
Planning application dates
- Date validated
- 14 December 2024
- Consultation expiry
- 28 April 2025
- Consultation start
- 7 April 2025
- Consultation end
- 28 April 2025
- Neighbour consultation start
- 17 December 2024
- Neighbour consultation end
- 7 January 2025
- Last date for comments
- 28 April 2025
- Target decision date
- 20 June 2025
Applicant and agent
- Agent address
- Unit 4 Goodwin Business Park Newmarket CB8 7SQ
Planning decision
- Statutory period
- 188 days
Publicity
- Last advertised
- 8 January 2025
- Advertisement expiry
- 29 January 2025
- Site notice start
- 17 December 2024
- Site notice end
- 7 January 2025
Appeal history
Additional information
- Planning Portal ID
- PP-13638913
- Documents
- 21
- Constraints
- 3
Site constraints
Designations that overlap or adjoin the site outline.
- Conservation area: Eye
- Flood zone 1: Low probability (rivers and sea)
Not published by this council, so not checked: Article 4 directions and tree preservation orders. Ask the council if these matter.
Also checked, none recorded (20)
flood storage areas, green belt, scheduled monuments, World Heritage Sites, World Heritage Site buffer zones, registered parks and gardens, registered battlefields, Heritage at Risk entries, nutrient neutrality catchments, national parks, National Landscapes, SSSIs, Special Areas of Conservation, Special Protection Areas, Ramsar sites, ancient woodland, national nature reserves, local nature reserves, heritage coasts and brownfield registers.
A guide only, from official open data; it is not a planning search. Flood zones cover rivers and sea, not surface water.
Data © Crown copyright and others · sources and licences
Contains public sector information from planning.data.gov.uk (MHCLG and local planning authorities), licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. © Crown copyright and database right 2026.
© Historic England 2026. Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. The Historic England GIS Data contained in this material was obtained on 2026-11-03. The most publicly available up to date Historic England GIS Data can be obtained from HistoricEngland.org.uk.
© Natural England copyright. Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right 2026.
© Environment Agency copyright and/or database right 2026. All rights reserved. Flood Map for Planning, Open Government Licence v3.0.
Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right 2026.
Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v.3.0. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026.
Source: Babergh Mid Suffolk
Track this application
Get email alerts when there is a planning decision or status change.
Get email alerts near IP23
New planning applications delivered to your inbox daily.
Around this site
Nearby applications
- 21 Castle Street Eye Suffolk IP23 7AWDC/17/06312 · HeritageApproved0.0 mi
- 11 Buckshorn Lane Eye IP23 7AZ0626/16 · TreesApproved0.0 mi
- 15 Castle Street Eye Suffolk IP23 7ANDC/23/01224 · HeritageApproved0.0 mi
- 15 Castle Street Eye Suffolk IP23 7ANDC/22/02261 · HeritageWithdrawn0.0 mi
- 13 Castle Street Eye IP23 7AN4756/16 · HeritageApproved0.0 mi
For applicants and trades
Contractors near this project
Find contractors for roofing near this site- The Swimming Pond CompanyVerifiedSouth NorfolkLandscaping & Driveways6.4 mi
- Mapex Electrical LtdElectrician0.1 mi
- Bernard Tatum And Son LtdElectrician0.1 mi
- Anglia Chimney SweepsSolid Fuel Heating0.5 mi
Planning something similar?
See what the council approved and refused for changes of use on your street. Pick your home and get the evidence before you pay for drawings.