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Annual Parish Meetings 2021
Samford Division – Annual Parish Meetings

Well it’s 2 years since we had an annual parish meeting, and 23
rd
March 2021
marked 12 months to the day that the Prime Minister called upon us all to Stay
Home, Protect the NHS and Save Lives as we all entered the first COVID national
lockdown.
Well what an extraordinary year it has been, we still can’t meet in person where we
would normally hold our meetings and have a drink and a chat afterwards, although
my mileage has reduced substantially!
In the last year we have all been touched by the impact of the pandemic in some
way. Many have had the virus and recovered, others have known somebody close
who has caught the virus and tragically some of us have seen the loss of family and
friends to this terrible pandemic.
At Suffolk County Council like many businesses and organisations we have reacted
with speed and professionalism in finding ways to adapt services to continue
supporting residents. Many of our employees have stepped forward to work in new
multi-agency teams, helping to source and supply over 5 million items of PPE to care
homes and the voluntary sector and helping set up and support the delivery of
support services such as Home But Not Alone.
At this point I want to thank all the volunteers across Suffolk for the role you have all
played and especially those in in all the villages in he Samford Division for the
outstanding contribution you have all made. A heartfelt thanks from all of us.
Our Public Health team continue to be at the forefront of local testing and the
vaccination programme with partners across local government, health and wider
Public Sector, not forgetting the significant role volunteers have played in the
delivery of the vaccine. The whole vaccine programme has been the outstanding
success of the response to the pandemic.
When the time is right, we need to reflect on what worked well and what did not and
let us be honest many things did not and we need to learn from them. The debate
still continues today on whether to have vaccines passports or not and the whole
testing programme going forward to name just two.
Reflecting on some of the highlights at SCC during the last year: –
March 2020. Winning £830k of funding to develop an outline business case to
improve the A12 East of Ipswich, and consultations have recently been taking place
on the proposals.
April A drive through COVID-19 testing facility opened at Copdock
May For those interested in local history, a new Suffolk Heritage Explorer website
was launched.

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Annual Parish Meetings 2021
June Better Broadband for Suffolk reached its 100,000
th
customer. This work is
continuing and has recently received fresh impetus with recent announcements from
central Government, as we all recognise the importance of good, fast reliable
connectivity in the times of “new ways of working”.
July The successful booking system for out Household Waste recycling centres
extended to people with vans and trailers and trade waste. We’ve recently
announced further automation of the booking system.
Further details of policy changes to support our ambition to be a net zero authority by
2030.
August on 5
th
August Suffolk Highways announced they had completed its 1000
th

resurfaced mile of road since May 2017.
September First of Suffolk 2020 Fund bids approved; £300k to provide 100 fast
charging points for Electronic Vehicles in rural parts of the county.
The Hold; the new records office in Ipswich welcomes its first visitors
October Another Suffolk 2020 Fund bid approved £228k for tree planting, protecting
hedgerows & verges.
November. Final approval of the Government’s part of the funding of the Gull Wing
bridge in Lowestoft approved, contracts will now be signed.
Work started in March. The designs show that Lowestoft will get an iconic bridge
December New cycle parking installed in Bury St Edmunds & Haverhill financed by
the Government’s emergency Active Travel Fund
January Two new Suffolk 2020 Fund projects announced. Discovering Suffolk and
a Dementia therapy initiative using virtual reality experiences.
February Council’s 2021/22 Budget agreed, and I’ve already covered that many
times in my monthly reports. Further 16 rapid testing centres for COVID-19 opened,
bringing total to 23. Highways increase drainage budget for 2021/22
March. SCC secures £3.1m for building decarbonisation initiative. Freeport East
approved as a new freeport. Further Suffolk 2020 Fund projects launched including
£400k for the ANPR speed camera 2-year trial. Total funding agreed £2.8m for the
2020 Fund

Having been a Councillor for the last 8 years with 7 as a member of the Cabinet ,
5½ years with responsibility for Children’s Services, Education & Skills and with the
last 18 months for Finance & Resources, I have decided to “retire” and not to seek
re-election in May. I just want to say what a pleasure and a privilege it has been to
work with you and the Parish Councils over these last 8 years and wish you all the
best for the future

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Annual Parish Meetings 2021
Happy to answer any questions, but before I do a couple of items you may wish to
take particular notice of in the coming months and years.
Pylons – National Grid, whether that be the upgrade of the Bramford to Twinstead
line in the north of the division or the recently proposed ATNC line from Bramford in
the south of the division through the parishes of Bentley & East Bergholt and onto
Essex both need watching. Parliament needs to change the legislation to ensure that
National Grid are not limited to supplying the least (financial) cost option but are
made to consider the social value and environmental impact so the maximum
amount of cabling is underground or underwater. Local MPs need to ensure that the
legislation is enacted to enable this to happen.
The upgrade of the Copdock interchange, is due in the next phase of RIS
programme from 2025. Try and make sure you are fully included in the prior
consultation, and that upgrading of the junctions on the A12 between the Essex
border and the Copdock interchange are finally included in the programme.
I’ve joined many of you to address speeding through your villages since becoming
your councillor in 2013, and we finally have a 2-year trial of ANPR cameras starting
shortly. For those that want to be included, do make sure your new councillor takes
up the baton on your behalf. I will also write to the road safety team before I depart
to ensure your involvement.

Gordon Jones 5
th
April 2021
Gordon.jones@suffolk.gov.uk