Samford Division
November Newsletter
Cllr Georgia Hall

Government funding boost for Suffolk community schemes
On November 5
th
, two Suffolk schemes received Government funding totalling more than £940,000
Enabling Self-Employment in Suffolk and the Suffolk Road to Net Zero business support programme
are among 477 schemes across the country to receive backing from the Community Renewal Fund.
This is a £200 million pot set up by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
aimed at boosting skills training for the unemployed and investing in businesses developing low-
carbon technology.
The two Suffolk schemes, which are both being led by New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership
(NALEP) and which were put forward by Suffolk County Council, receive a total of £945,974.
Enabling Self-Employment, which receives £412,208, delivers self-employment support across
Suffolk, particularly amongst disadvantaged communities in East Suffolk.
Building on the established programme of Business Start-Up support in Norfolk and Suffolk, it works
with employed and unemployed people – including those who were on furlough or who are under-
employed and economically vulnerable – from deprived groups and communities.
Suffolk Road to Net Zero receives £533,766.
This is a scheme offering grants to support businesses in developing low-carbon projects and which
contribute to the Suffolk Climate Emergency Plan’s key theme of reducing industrial and commercial
emissions, informs a model for place-based Net Zero strategies, and generates benefits for nature-
based solutions.

Suffolk’s Greenest County Awards Winners Announced

On November 12
th
, Suffolk celebrated the people and organisations making the biggest
environmental difference in the county.
As COP26 comes to a close, Suffolk celebrates the people and organisations making the
biggest environmental difference in the county. An innovative food recycling company, a
nature reserve and the county’s Tree Warden Network are among those collecting awards
at The Hold in Ipswich today (Friday 12 November 2021).
Councillor Richard Rout, Suffolk County Council’s Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for
Finance and Environment, said:
“Once again, our Greenest County Award winners demonstrate that Suffolk has some of the
most innovative, passionate and forward thinking people and organisations in the UK. We
hope these stories inspire everyone to think hard about how they can help, as they not only
address the climate emergency here in Suffolk, but set a standard for all organisations and
industry, leading the way to a greener country and more sustainable world.”

Full details of the winners can be found here:

Suffolk’s Greenest County Awards Winners Announced

Share your thoughts on prioritising future County Council Services
as part of planning the 2022/23 budget
On November 19
th
a public consultation was launched to find out where people place their
priorities and thoughts on how council funds its services.
Following the Chancellor’s recent Spending Review and Autumn Budget, Suffolk County
Council will have the option to raise Council Tax by 2% and the Adult Social Care Precept by
2%. With local authorities continuing to respond to the challenges of the COVID-19
pandemic, global supply chain issues and climate change, Suffolk County Council is asking
residents for their thoughts on helping the council prioritise its funding towards services in
the coming financial year alongside meeting the continuing costs of statutory care services.
Although the last two years have proved to be an extraordinary time, the county council
continues to aim to provide the best possible outcomes for local people through a multitude
of frontline services that support residents, businesses, and the county at large.
With rising costs and increasing service demand year on year, the finances at our disposal
have to be carefully planned and considered for us to continue to achieve a balanced
budget each year in extremely challenging circumstances.
Suffolk County Council’s priorities this year are to:
• promote and support the health and wellbeing of all people in Suffolk
• strengthen our local economy
• protect and enhance our environment
• provide value for money for the Suffolk taxpayer
With careful financial management and planning, the county council has already saved
hundreds of millions of pounds during the last decade, whilst being innovative in the
delivery of many of its services. Many challenges remain in the light of the recent pandemic,
and the continuing difficult financial position that many local authorities have faced for a
number of years.
A proposed budget will be presented at the Cabinet meeting on 1 February 2022 and the
final budget will be discussed at Full Council on 17 February 2022.
More information about the council’s finances and the consultation can be found at
suffolk.gov.uk/budget2022
The consultation closes on Monday 20 December 2021.
Search is on for warehouse space to aid foodbanks in Suffolk
It was announced on November 25
th
that the council is urgently appealing for available
warehouse space near to Ipswich to help provide supplies for the county’s foodbanks and
local charities.
Ipswich based charity FareShare East of England urgently need to find new facilities to
ensure they can store and distribute vital food for Suffolk’s foodbanks. The charity is
currently supported by a depot in Nottingham via trips to Cambridge, but this is not
sustainable in the long-term for serving charities and community groups in Suffolk.

Anyone who owns and has spare storage facilities could be able to help preserve some of
the vital food that Suffolk’s most vulnerable residents need. FareShare East of England is
looking at sites that meet the following criteria:
• In or in very close proximity to Ipswich
• Building in –in the region of 10,000 square feet
• Buildings with height for racking of 6-7 meters
• Must have access for articulated lorries
• Office space for six people/workstations
• 415 voltage supply to building for refrigerators etc.
FareShare East of England is looking for a building on a formal rental basis for a 5-year term
rent at a rate of £5 to £10 per square foot but would also look at a 10-year term on the
same rate, with a 5-year break clause.
Chair of the Collaborative Communities Board, Chrissie Geeson said:
“One of the things people in Suffolk do best is come together to support each other in times
of need. This is one of those times. We appreciate that few people will be in a position to
help FareShare East of England with this very specific request, but we’re hopeful that
someone or a business in our community will come forward and make a real difference in
our work to support the most vulnerable people in Suffolk.”
As of February 2021, there were over 2,000 foodbanks in the UK, that are working hard to
help feed our nation and Suffolk County Council is proud to be supporting foodbanks
throughout Suffolk.
FareShare East of England is part of the UK-wide FareShare network of charitable food
redistributors, made up of 18 independent organisations. In 2020/21 FareShare East of
England supported nearly 150 local charities and community groups and provided them
with the equivalent of nearly four million meals. Due to the current lack of facilitates they
are currently only able to provide a reduced service to their member charities and
community groups. To do this they rely on volunteers to carry out their work and many of
the volunteers are based in Ipswich which is why a site in the town is being sought after.
To offer a site please contact Regional Manager Mike Barrett, FareShare East of England via
email on: michael.barrett@fareshare.org.uk

Fen bridge Removal

We are currently finalising details for the removal of Fen Bridge, so that the risk of collapse
is removed and the navigation on the River Stour can be re-opened. We are currently
programming to start works on 29 November for a period of approximately 4 weeks (subject
to weather conditions).
Works are still on programme to commence on Monday 29 November 2021, with a planned
completion date of Friday 17 December 2021.

• Week 1 – Laying access track mats, setting up site compound, and preparing crane
foundations
• Week 2 – Removing bridge and making the area good and safe
• Week 3 – Removing access track and site compound

The bridge removal works will involve constructing a temporary access route across the
flood meadows from the B1029 Dedham Road to the bridge. The access route will be
formed using temporary aluminium track mats placed on the ground (see attached
information sheet) and will be used to provide access for vehicles and a large mobile crane
that will be required to lift the bridge out. Once the bridge has been removed, all temporary
works will be removed, and ground and gates reinstated.

We are planning to install a replacement bridge in Spring/Summer 2022 (when weather
conditions are likely to be more favourable), which will require a very similar licence/works to
that required to remove the existing bridge.