Woodlands Farm Woodlands Road Raydon Ipswich Suffolk IP7 5QD Data via plota.co.uk

DC/26/03496 - Prior Approval Agricultural to Dwell Approved

Proposal

Application for Prior Approval for a proposed Change of Use of Agricultural Buildings to Dwellinghouses (C3) and for building operations reasonably necessary for conversion. Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development)(England) Order 2015 as amended Schedule 2, Part 3, Class Q - Conversion of barn into 2no. dwellings. Data via plota.co.uk

View original council record ↗Last checked

Application progress

✓
Received
13 Aug 2026
✓
Consultation
17 Aug 2026
✓
Approved
5 Oct 2026

Approved on 5 Oct 2026 · Delegated Decision · Last checked 6 Oct 2026

Site constraints 4

Agricultural land, grade 3a
Best and most versatile land (grades 1, 2 and 3a). Source: the Predictive Agricultural Land Classification Map (Defra and Natural England, 2025; the Welsh Government's Predictive ALC Map 2 in Wales), a model rather than a site survey. Natural England's Provisional ALC map (1:250,000, 1970s) agrees.
Where development of farmland is needed, policy prefers poorer land over the best and most versatile (grades 1, 2 and 3a). Three sources: Natural England's post-1988 field surveys, which are definitive where they exist; the Defra predictive map for England (2025) and the Welsh Government predictive map, modelled from the soil map with 3a and 3b split; and the 1970s provisional map, which planners and other services still show, coarser and with grade 3 undivided. Where the provisional and predicted grades disagree, treat the predicted grade as the current estimate and expect an application to carry its own survey.
National infrastructure project 364 m away: Norwich to Tilbury
The site is 364 m from the project boundary. Electricity line, examination closed, recommendation due. Also within 2 km: Bramford to Twinstead (decided, 1399 m).
Nationally significant infrastructure projects (power stations, electricity lines, pipelines, major roads and railways, harbours, airports and reservoirs) are consented by a Secretary of State under the Planning Act 2008, after an examination by the Planning Inspectorate, rather than by the council. The boundary is the one the Inspectorate consults on and can change as the scheme does. Projects are shown within 2 km of the site.
Planning Inspectorate project page ↗
Habitat network: Network Enhancement Zone 2
Where habitat is joined up enough to work as a network. Context, not a constraint on its own.
Also on the record
Local nature reserve 323 m away: Railway Walk, Hadleigh.
Not affected
Outside flood zones 2 and 3 · Not green belt · No listed building at the site

Checked on 6 October 2026. Historic England, the Environment Agency, Natural England, the Planning Inspectorate and council datasets, Open Government Licence. A boundary can run through a site and the council holds the definitive record: confirm with the council before relying on this.

Building

Floor area414 m² (4,456 sq ft)
Energy ratingF (36 out of 100), could reach E
PropertyDetached house, 11 habitable rooms
BuiltBefore 1900
HeatingBoiler and radiators, oil
WallsTimber frame, as built, no insulation (assumed)

From the energy performance certificate lodged in September 2020, the latest held for this property. The building may have changed since. View the certificate

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Important details

Application type
Prior Approval Agricultural to Dwell
Postcode
IP7 5QD
Received
13 Aug 2026
Validated
13 Aug 2026
Ward
Brett Vale
Parish
Raydon
Case officer
Show
Target decision
8 Oct 2026
Decision
Formal Approval IS required - Approved
Decision date
5 Oct 2026
Decision level
Delegated Decision
Applicant
Show
Agent
Peter Wells Architects Limited

How this decision compares

Decided in 53 days from validation, about the council's usual 56 days. Approved, as 77% of changes of use here are.

61%decided within 8 weeks
77%approved
143decided in the last year

Plota live figures for changes of use decided by Babergh Mid Suffolk in the last twelve months, from validation. Babergh Mid Suffolk decision record →

Public comments

3comments received
2 objecting1 neutral

67% object · below the UK average of 74%

3 neighbours consulted · Last counted 6 Oct 2026

Read the comments on the council site ↗

Consultation & key dates

Alt. reference
PP-15095783
Planning Portal ref
PP-15095783
Neighbours
18 Aug 2026
Consultation
17 Aug 2026
Comments by
2 Oct 2026
Site or press notice
11 Sept 2026
Statutory expiry
8 Oct 2026
Env. assessment
No
Babergh Mid Suffolk
Planning Authority Score
7.7/10
Good
#33 of 296 councils
Relevant to this application:
Change of use

Babergh Mid Suffolk is faster than most councils at deciding householder applications, ranking #56 out of 296. Householder applications are slightly more likely to be approved here (95%) than the national average (90%).

Faster than most councils
for householder decisions
These figures are council-wide context, not a prediction for this application. View full council performance
Babergh Mid Suffolk decision statistics
Based on MHCLG data, the year to March 2026
89%
Overall approval rate
Above avg (87%) #124 of 296
95%
Householder approved
Above avg (90%) #68 of 296
77%
Decided in 8 weeks
Above avg (63%) #56 of 296
34%
Extended time limit
Below avg (41%) #83 of 296
74%
Minor dwellings approved
160 decided (1-9 homes)
73%
Major dwellings approved
11 decided (10+ homes)
93%
Change of use approved
40 decided
882
Total decisions
99 refused in the year to March 2026

Energy performance: Energy performance certificates from the Energy Performance of Buildings Register, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. © Crown copyright 2026.