The new primary school is planned to accommodate up to 420 pupilsPart of the land along West Row Road in Mildenhall (stock)(Image: Google)Plans to build up to 1,000 homes and a new primary school for over 400 pupils on the Cambridgeshire border have been approved. Suffolk County Council proposed plans to build the 1,000 homes and primary school on land West Of Mildenhall West Row Road, Mildenhall.The plans also propose up to 80 bed care units, five hectares of commercial space, a new local centre, two early years facilities and a public open space. The plans, first submitted in January 2024, were proposed to “create a new sense of arrival to Mildenhall” and also “seamlessly integrate with urban fabric and create locally distinctive sense of place”.The hybrid planning application has now been approved by West Suffolk Council. The 1,000 homes will be a mix of two-bed three storey flats, two-bed terrace houses, three-bed semi-detached homes and four-bed detached homes.The primary school will accommodate up to 420 pupils, while a pre-school will be big enough for up to 60 children. The school is likely to open in three phases before it reaches full capacity.The employment land will be set out over five hectares, including 20,000 sqm of employment floorspace. The landscaping and open space “plays a key role in tying the site together, and forging connections with the existing town”, as stated in the plans.The open space is set to have a “strong identity”, as well as be “attractive to people as it is to wildlife”. A new entrance will also be created under the plans.Named the “western gateway”, a new entrance will be created on West Row Road. This will provide the access roundabout and create the setting for Primary Street.Despite approval, the plans did receive a number of objections. A resident in West Row said they objected on “several grounds”.They said that the existing infrastructure, including schools and doctors, could not “support the population increase”. They were also concerned about the roads.They added: “The roads are standard for the area and population; narrow country roads. They are not suitable for a significant increase of population or for the impact of massive building works.”Another resident in Miles Hawn Way objected as they said their property would be affected by the development. They said: “This will affect the value of my property. The noise and the dust from the build will be very stressful.”They also raised concerns about the infrastructure, stating that the town centre was already “struggling”. Another resident in Neve Gardens said the extra traffic would “put a strain on an already near gridlocked area”.
Plans for 1,000 homes and new primary school given go-ahead
