Higham, a village in a Suffolk valley with just 155 residents, has been selected for a large-scale housing development. At a council meeting in July 2026, West Suffolk Council asked development company Pigeon to draw up plans for new-build homes in the village.
The move is driven by government requirements that the council provide 1,100 new homes per year to meet demand. This means either expanding larger villages or building entirely new ones. Minutes from the meeting show Higham, west of Bury St Edmunds, was chosen for its 'strategic' location on the A14, halfway between Bury St Edmunds and Newmarket, and just over 20 miles from Cambridge.
Village character at risk
Higham currently features traditional cottages with wooden beams, exterior walls of local stone, and gravel driveways, surrounded by green countryside. In December 2025, a one-bedroom terraced cottage sold for £200,000; in October, a four-bedroom detached home went for £647,500.
Local resident Bin Johnston, 66, who lived in Higham for 36 years until last year, opposes the plans. He said: 'The views from Upper Green across to Ely Cathedral 16 miles away on the horizon, are stunning, and the valley is completely unspoilt without any pylons.' He added: 'The development completely surrounds the current housing and completely obliterates the current high hamlet character.'
Housing need and local concerns
At the end of 2024, more than 2,500 households were on West Suffolk Council's housing register, with 1,000 in urgent need. £612,000 was invested to tackle homelessness. Johnston believes there are more suitable locations and that housing need does not have to come 'at the expense of these pockets of rural beauty.'
A spokesperson for Pigeon told the BBC: 'In partnership with the Higham Estate, Pigeon has submitted proposals for a sustainable new community as part of West Suffolk's call for sites process. One of the first steps in the review of the district's local plan to meet the significant growth mandated by the government.'
Infrastructure doubts
Rebecca Turner, born in the village and still living nearby, was christened at Higham Church in the 1980s and had her daughter's ceremony there in 2015. She said: 'The vicar showed us notes in the book from our christening, and it was only one or two pages away from my daughter's. The thought of this village being built on like this is heartbreaking for me.'
Petula Stone said Higham lacks the infrastructure for such an influx, citing electricity and water. 'Not to mention the A14, which is working beyond capacity now. In an increasingly busy and built-up West Suffolk, it would be a travesty for this proposed development to go ahead. Once the countryside is gone, it's gone forever.' Metro has contacted Pigeon for comment.
