John Constable’s Suffolk village in bid to defect to Essex
On first reading this story ostensibly appears ridiculous. It does however demonstrate the ongoing and deep seated controversy wrought by the NPPF. It tells us:
Historic Suffolk landmarks made famous by the paintings of John Constable could soon become part of Essex, if furious villagers get their way.
Residents of the, for now, bucolic idyll that is East Bergholt believe changing counties is the only way to protect the local landscape from the threat of developers.
It means settings made famous around the world by the romantic artist, such as Willy Lott’s Cottage and Flatford Mill, could be lost to Suffolk forever.
But villagers feel so betrayed by their local council that “that’s their problem” best sums up the current mood.
Sitting in the picturesque Stour Valley and accommodating fewer than 3,000 souls, East Bergholt is in the throes of a bitter struggle to fight off the development of a further 144 homes.
So determined is the Parish Council to prevent the expansion, that it is threatening to break free from Babergh District council and defect to the Essex borough of Colchester.
Suffolk’s borders have remained largely unchanged for decades, with the last major shakeup taking place in 1974, when six villages lost to Norfolk.
However the entire area, commonly dubbed “Constable Country”, is coming under increasing pressure because Babergh District has recently been judged to have less than five years of housing land supply.
It means local planning regulations are overruled in favour of national policy, which favours developers.
Constable was born in East Bergholt in 1776, where his father owned Flatford Mill, which was immortilised in an oil painting in 1816.
The young artist developed his skills sketching the local countryside, and in particular the area around the River Stour, returning in later life to complete other standout works like the Hay Wain.
Two hundred years on, the Parish Council is preparing to decide whether to call a local referendum to secure a mandate for attempting succession from Suffolk.