Council on course to plant 200,000 trees
Additionally, on May 11
th
it was announced that Suffolk County Council had planted 198,547 trees
across Suffolk in just the last two years (at an average of 272 per day).
Much of this was possible thanks to £400,000 of the council’s own Suffolk 2020 Fund, to protect and
encourage biodiversity in the county.
In one year, 198,547 average adult trees could absorb the equivalent CO2 emitted by:
• 8,845,898 miles travelled in a typical petrol car
• 903 typical household gas boilers running for a year
• 199 Suffolk residents each year.
The planting includes 12 miles of new mixed native species hedgerows across 15 county farm
holdings, delivering new wildlife habitat, ecological corridors and enhanced landscapes.
The council worked with many partners to make the tree planting a success, including The
Woodland Trust, Suffolk Tree Warden Network, county farm tenants, landowners, local authorities
and communities, and contractor Giles Landscapes.
All the trees have been registered as part of the Queen’s Green Canopy to mark the Queen’s
Platinum Jubilee and contribute to the continuing Suffolk-wide ambition of Creating the Greenest
County.

Suffolk celebrates as 185 Platinum Jubilee events approved
Communities across Suffolk are preparing to celebrate Her Majesty, The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee,
as Suffolk County Council, as of May 12
th
, approved applications for 185 events.
Thousands of residents across the county will come together with neighbours and attend celebration
events between Thursday 2 and Sunday 5 June, to mark Her Majesty, The Queen’s 70 years of
service.
Originally, fees were waived for events taking place on Sunday 5 June only – which is being referred
to nationally as the ‘Big Jubilee Lunch’, however due to the unprecedented demand for events
taking place across the rest of the weekend, Suffolk County Council also waived fees for events
taking place on Thursday 2, Friday 3 and Saturday 4 June.
The waived fees are associated with costs related to road closure applications and traffic
management, such as signs and barriers.
The approved celebrations are made up of smaller street party style events in roads and cul-de-sacs;
held by residents and community groups, and bigger events organised by town, parish, borough and
district councils.

Suffolk’s schools step up for Walk to School week
For this year’s Walk to School Week (16-20 May), Suffolk County Council is supporting schools to
take part in its Keep Moving Suffolk Walking Challenge.
Following the success of last year’s challenge, almost 100 primary schools across Suffolk have signed
up to receive a pack of free resources from the council, which aims to encourage 25,000 children,
parents and staff to get active by walking to school.

The resources include a poster and daily reward stickers for each class, as well as an activity log for
children to complete on their journeys to and from school, giving them fun daily activities to do and
a printable certificate to recognise the achievements of children who walk to school during the
week.

14th annual Suffolk Walking Festival kicks off at Clare Castle Country Park
Over 60 people celebrated the launch of the 14th annual Suffolk Walking Festival at Clare Castle
Country Park on Saturday 14 May.
All in attendance were greeted by the Clare Town Crier on the warm and sunny morning which
marked the start of one of the longest running walking festivals in the UK. Organisers then
welcomed guest speaker Derek Blake, Chair of Clare Walkers who got the festivities underway by
welcoming attendees on the first of many walks planned for this year’s festival.
The two launch walks were:
• Clare and the Upper Stour Valley (5 miles): This walk combined views of Clare’s unique built
heritage (medieval castle ruins, Victorian railway buildings, country park and Priory), with
the beautiful scenery of the Upper Stour Valley, the common and medieval Erbury
• Exploring Clare Castle Country Park (2 miles): This walk explored all sections of Clare Castle
Country Park, the different green space habitats and heritage: medieval castle ruins, railway
heritage, the new cut of the River Stour and railway walk.
The Suffolk Walking Festival is back for 2022, after it was cancelled in 2020 and took place virtually in
2021 due to the pandemic. The 16-day programme boasts over 70 walks, covering 400 miles.
Whether you enjoy exploring outstanding landscapes, seascapes, and rivers, watching wildlife and
seasonal spectacles, or learning more about Suffolk’s local history. There is a walk for all. Some of
the highlights of this year’s festival include
• A gentle stroll along the River Lark into water meadows and a nature reserve,
• A chance to discover the history of the wool trade and the history of Lavenham on the
“Woads, Weavers and Wizards” Walk,
• The opportunity to get crafty in the woods with the Family Wildcrafts Walk at Brandon
Country Park, and
• The promise of a hill in Suffolk, on the “Valley Ramble, dipping a toe into Essex” walk.
• There are also 3 longer walks, to give yourself a challenge, all starting from the Abbey
Gardens, exploring landscapes North, South and East of Bury St Edmunds.
Suffolk residents encouraged to use their Quiet Lanes
People in Suffolk are being encouraged to explore more of the beautiful countryside on their
doorstep through the growing Quiet Lanes initiative.
Quiet Lanes is a nationally recognised designation for narrow, rural roads which can be shared with
walkers, horse riders, cyclists and other road users.
The scheme aims to encourage everyone using the lanes to travel with caution, so everyone can
enjoy the rural lanes with greater safety.
Launched in 2020 it is a county-wide project overseen by a volunteer steering group supported by
Suffolk County Council’s 2020 Fund, the East Suffolk Community Partnerships and the East Suffolk
Greenprint Forum.

Since its launch nearly 200 parish councils have engaged and there are now more than 350 lanes
designated in Suffolk, covering approximately 400 kilometres (248 miles) of country road.
All Quiet Lanes are marked with green signs at either end, which clearly show the hierarchy of right
of way for people using the road.
Residents can use the interactive map on the Quiet Lanes Suffolk website to find out where the
nearest lanes are to them.