Planning Permissions Granted for Abbey of St Edmund, Reborn Project

A major milestone for the Abbey of St Edmund, Reborn project has been reached with the successful approval of all planning applications for the project.

This marks a significant step forward in realising project partners, St Edmundsbury Cathedral, West Suffolk Council and English Heritage’s shared vision to conserve, enhance, and re-present this extraordinary historic site for future generations.

The Abbey of St Edmund, Reborn project reunifies the fragmented 60-acre Abbey of St Edmund site, creating a coherent, accessible and sustainable ‘place making’ cultural destination. The project will:

• Make the Abbey site more inclusive - physically, intellectually and emotionally
• Conserve the Abbey ruins and give them a sustainable future
• Provide a 1.4km circular route which re-connects the Abbey to the Cathedral and historic town
• Build a new West Cloister which will host community displays and creative exhibitions
• Safeguard a number of listed buildings facing Angel Hill, giving them a new life as a heritage and welcome centre with visitor facilities including an interpretation space, community room, washrooms, and a shop
• Establish biodiversity and environmental stewardship programme throughout the Abbey area
• Deliver 47 coordinated community activities, 200 volunteering, 21 training opportunities, two apprenticeships and five funded staff posts, in collaboration with 29 local organisations spanning heritage, biodiversity, archaeology and the creative sectors.

In 2024, the Abbey of St Edmund, Reborn project was granted development funding of £729,553 in order to develop the project plans and inform the Delivery Phase application. A £9.8m Delivery Phase application to The National Lottery Heritage Fund was submitted in February for the Abbey of St Edmund, Reborn Project and a funding decision will be made later in the year.

Over the past 20 months, a professional design team has worked intensively to develop a comprehensive and carefully considered set of proposals. These include essential conservation repairs to the ruins, the creation of a new Visitor Centre and West Cloister, improved accessible pathways throughout the site, and a series of biodiversity enhancements designed to enrich the landscape.

This work has been delivered in close collaboration with project partners, St Edmundsbury Cathedral, West Suffolk Council, and English Heritage, who have come together as members of The Abbey of St Edmund Heritage Partnership (comprising 29 organisations and individuals who care about the Abbey) to develop and deliver this project.

Throughout the planning process, feedback from statutory consultees, amenity societies, and the wider public has been overwhelmingly positive. This strong support reflects the project’s sensitive and thoughtful approach to preserving the Abbey’s exceptional historic significance while making it more accessible and engaging.

The Very Reverend Joe Hawes, Dean of St Edmundsbury says, “This is a major step forward for the project. We have been working with an incredible team of specialists for around 18 months to bring us to this point, especially conservation architects Purcell and interpretation designers RFA Design. Two final and defining milestones remain. The first is to secure a delivery grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, which we hope to achieve later this year. The second is to complete the fundraising – the finishing line is almost within touching distance, but we still need a little bit more support and then we’re there!”

Given the complexity of the site, nine approvals have been secured across multiple areas, including planning permission, listed building consent, Scheduled Monument Consent, and relevant ecclesiastical approvals. Each stage has been undertaken with rigorous attention to detail and in close consultation with the appropriate authorities. In total, the applications were supported by over 140 detailed drawings and 23 specialist reports and surveys, demonstrating both the necessity of the works and the long-term benefits they will deliver.

Information on the project can be found at the project website: www.abbeyofstedmund.com