Please note: Call for Sites has now closed
Ipswich Borough Council undertook a public Call for Sites process for the new Ipswich Local Plan between 20 October and 15 December 2025. This was a first key step in producing the new Ipswich Local Plan, which is intended to guide development in the Borough up to at least 2044.
What is the call for sites?
Following the adoption of the Ipswich Local Plan (2022) and supporting documents, the Council must now prepare a new Ipswich Local Plan in accordance with the reforms to the national planning system and regulations. The Borough’s total housing need requirements have increased by around 70% and the new Ipswich Local Plan must prepare to meet this. The Call for Sites represents a key stage in the early plan making process and enables the public to submit sites to the Council for consideration of their future development potential.
This Call for Sites exercise will not in itself determine whether a site should be allocated for development. All sites will need to be further assessed and the overall strategy for the new Ipswich Local Plan will be informed by a number of evidence base documents and feedback from consultations. It is very important to stress that the submission of a site through the Call for Sites process does not give the site any planning status, nor does it determine any future planning status.
To view the submitted sites please follow the link to the Ipswich GIS Portal:
Ipswich GIS Portal - Call for Sites 2025 Submissions
The local authorities in Suffolk are working together to coordinate Local Plan making processes and timescales, as far as possible. Babergh District Council, East Suffolk Council and Mid Suffolk District Council ran separate Call for Sites. Details are available on their respective websites.
What types of uses could be submitted?
Interested parties were invited to submit sites for a range of development uses including, residential, commercial, infrastructure and open space sites within Ipswich Borough. Sites for a mix of uses could also be submitted.
The Guidance Note for the Call for Sites can be found below:
Guidance Note - Call for Sites 2025 (PDF)
What sizes of sites could be submitted?
Ipswich Borough Council invited site submissions on sites of at least 0.1 hectares (ha) and, if it was a residential site, it had to be able to accommodate at least 5 dwellings. Commercial development sites were required to be capable of providing at least 500sqm floorspace.
In all instances, sites were only to be submitted where the promoter was able to clearly demonstrate that the site could be brought forward for its proposed use during the proposed new Ipswich Local Plan time period.
What happens next?
A comprehensive new Ipswich Local Plan will be prepared to comply with the new national planning system. It will supersede the current Ipswich Local Plan (2022).
How to get in touch
If you have any questions relating to the Call for Sites then please contact the Planning Policy team on 01473 432019 or e-mail planningpolicy@ipswich.gov.uk.
Local Plan - Planning Policy
Ipswich Borough Council
Grafton House
15-17 Russell Road
Ipswich IP1 2DE
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