Burnham Market Parish Council

Dear Mr Wild,

Burnham Market Parish Council is writing on behalf of residents, businesses, and the wider community to raise serious concerns about the implications of the proposed Local Plan for Burnham Market and neighbouring villages.

Anglian Water has advised that the existing water supply and sewage infrastructure is already operating at full capacity and is unlikely to support significant additional development until at least 2030. At the same time, the proposed Local Plan substantially increases housing requirements in the area and is expected to be implemented within approximately 30 months. This presents a significant practical difficulty, particularly as the current Local Plan was already considered challenging due to infrastructure limitations and was intended to run until 2040.

There is also increasing pressure to direct development towards rural villages that lack the infrastructure necessary to support substantial population growth. Local roads have limited capacity for increased commuting, employment opportunities in the immediate area are limited, and access to key services is constrained. In practice, many newly built homes in these locations – including shared ownership and other affordable housing – can take extended periods to sell, and some occupants subsequently relocate due to the limited availability of work and transport links.

Proceeding with development in these circumstances risks worsening existing infrastructure pressures, including reduced water pressure, sewage system failures, and serious environmental impacts. There are also concerns about potential consequences for tourism and local industries, including fishing and shellfish operations, which are important to the local economy.

The Parish Council recognises the need for new housing and understands the pressures on local planning authorities to meet national targets. However, the current situation places Borough Planning under pressure to deliver housing growth that cannot be supported by the underlying infrastructure, while Anglian Water cannot expand system capacity until 2030. This creates a gap that cannot realistically be resolved at the local level.

We would therefore welcome your assistance in raising these concerns with the relevant authorities and exploring whether a more realistic alignment between housing delivery targets and infrastructure capacity can be achieved. In particular, clarity is needed on how development can proceed responsibly where essential utilities and services are already at their limits.

Thank you for your attention to this matter. The Parish Council would welcome any guidance or support your office may be able to provide.

Yours sincerely,