People in East Suffolk are being encouraged to have their say on how small-scale residential development in the countryside could go ahead.

A consultation on the draft Housing in Clusters and Small-Scale Residential Development in the Countryside Supplementary Planning Document (SPD), which provides guidance on the development of small-scale housing of up to five dwellings, launched last Friday (June 17).

The Suffolk Coastal Local Plan and the Waveney Local Plan each contains a policy which allows for a limited amount of new housing in the countryside.

With the draft SPD covering a range of topics including an outline of the necessary characteristics for sites to be appropriate for development, David Ritchie, the council's cabinet member for planning and coastal management, said: “We welcome any feedback on this new Supplementary Planning Document which will enable us to make decisions on future developments in rural areas.”

Comments  must be submitted by 5pm on Friday, August 5 and you can view this consultation via the council website.