Haughley Park Appeal Success

Since 2017, James Bailey has worked closely with the owners of Haughley Park, via Mr. Robert Williams, to avoid an existing adjoining factory site being turned into a housing estate. Two planning applications, first for 149 dwellings and then subsequently for 120 dwellings, were refused by Mid Suffolk District Council, with James preparing strong objections to these proposals on the grounds of impacts on the important heritage assets, and impact on the existing weddings and events business which have been operating at Haughley Park since 2008. 

An Appeal was subsequently lodged against the Council’s decision, and Haughley Park Limited felt strongly enough to warrant becoming a ‘Rule 6 Party’, where they sought to employ their own barrister and expert witnesses to sit alongside both the Appellant and Council on an equal footing. The Public Inquiry took place in January-February 2021, with the Inspector, Mr. Tom Gilbert-Wooldridge, resoundingly dismissing the appeal in a Decision issued on 25th March 2021. (See Appeal Decision APP/W3520/W/20/3258516).

JBPL were proud to have been involved in this Appeal and a special thanks must go to: Anjoli Foster of Landmark Chambers who was a phenomenal Counsel throughout the process; Rob Evans of Cannon Consulting Engineers who was our highways witness and was successful in raising the highways safety issue; and Alex Roberts of DLP who was instrumental in arguing the case for the impacts on the existing wedding and events business (notably using the ‘agent of change’).

This success will hopefully enable the wedding and events business to continue to grow at Haughley Park, building on the existing events of: Bluebell Sundays; Weird and Wonderful Wood; Alive and V’Dubbin; and more recently the Spectacle of Light. (See https://www.haughleypark.co.uk/). It is hoped that the Williams family, and Mr. Williams Senior are pleased with this outcome.