Active Travel Woodbridge

In the Spring of 2023, it was announced that Suffolk County Council had been awarded £5 million to deliver improvements ‘for walking, wheeling and cycling’ within Woodbridge. Active Travel Woodbridge was formed to develop the project. The Society has responded twice to proposed changes: firstly to general proposals in December 2023, and secondly to a specific consultation document in March 2024. The responses are available below. The documents will open as PDF files in a new browser tab or window, or as downloads on your device.

A second public consultation was held in August 2022 at which Rose Builders exhibited their further proposals:

Melton Hill – Old Council Offices

A Fresh Start

On the 4th April 2022, East Suffolk District Council announced that it had completed the sale of this three and a quarter acre site to Rose Builders Ltd of Manningtree. Potentially rather better news than the last debacle.

Rose’s website states that they are ‘A traditional family run firm of Builders, Contractors and Developers, established circa 1896’. Their Audited accounts to March 2021 state they have 200 employees, made a gross profit of £4.67m on Turnover of £48m and had net equity of £7.8m. They have an interesting list of completed projects including the recent 32 unit residential scheme adjoining Queen’s House at Woodbridge School. Rose Builders Ltd is part of the larger Rose Group Ltd who at March 2021 had total equity of £32.7m including cash of £30.4m.

Both Parties have issued press releases.

Steven Rose, MD of Rose, says “…Our aim is to provide Woodbridge with a development that will be worthy of its setting and location and become a welcome addition to the local landscape. We will be working up plans and looking to engage with the local community very soon.” He adds that “the aim is to create a residential development that will meet the needs of Woodbridge residents and enhance the town.” Separately, Rose’s Sales and Marketing Director, Alex Leader, is quoted in the EADT as saying that “the existing plans” (i.e. The Cheese Wedges) “will not be built.” 

For ESDC, Craig Rivett, Deputy Leader, repeats sentiments made to the press earlier this year, saying “…We were keen that any potential developer would wish to forge a close working relationship with the local community, including Woodbridge Town Council and Melton Parish council, to ensure that local views are heard and taken into consideration…..I look forward to seeing the creation of a residential scheme that will meet local needs.”

So now we all eagerly wait for the buyer to reveal their thinking for the concept and design of redevelopment. From what they have said it seems they will be sympathetic to the site’s context, location and the concerns of Woodbridge residents.