David Ruffley MP has today backed St Edmundsbury Borough Council's opposition to more housing being allocated to the borough and welcomed a proposed strengthening of the policy relating to development in Bury St Edmunds.

St Edmundsbury Borough Council's Sustainable Development Panel met on Monday and recommended to the Council's Cabinet that the proposed annual rate of growth in the borough should remain at 540 new homes a year- rather than increase it to accommodate up to another 2,200 over and above this.

The decision was in response to a Government request that the East of England Regional Assembly review the East of England Spatial Strategy and provide a framework for growth in the region for the period between 2011 and 2031.

David said:

'I am delighted that St Edmundsbury Borough Council intends to remain steadfast in its opposition to further housing being allocated to the borough. Even now the borough is expected to accommodate an additional 540 homes a year but Government bureaucrats want to know if this can be increased still further. I could not agree with St Edmundsbury more when they say that any increase would not be deliverable and, moreover, would have significant detrimental impact on the environment of our area.

'It is also pleasing to see proposed changes to text in the Regional Plan that would properly reflect the importance of the unique character of Bury St Edmunds and its historic town centre.

'In particular, I am certain that the suggestion that that any new development should respect and enhance Bury St Edmunds' historic town centre and that new development should not come forward without the appropriate infrastructure being in place will be welcomed across the town.'