District Councillor Report July 2025

We Are Advice Service
(Poster attached )
I have spoken to this service which is backed by UK Power. It offers advice on a
range of issues and aims to answer calls straightaway. An appointment with an
adviser will be booked within 72 hours and callers will receive an email or a letter
summarising the advice afterwards. I am told that there was a 100% satisfaction
score from those surveyed about the service. Please let residents know about this
service.

Constable Anniversary
In 2026, Babergh District Council will be supporting a national celebration marking
the 250th anniversary of the birth of iconic East Bergholt-born artist John Constable
(1776-1837).
Constable is one of Britain’s most influential painters and much of his artwork
captured stunning Babergh landscapes, not just at Flatford.
The celebrations, known as Constable 250, will feature three major exhibitions, led
by Colchester and Ipswich Museums, showcasing significant artworks on loan from
some of the nation’s most important galleries.
The exhibitions taking place are:
• Constable: A Cast of Characters (28 March to 14 June 2026) – Introducing
those who inspired and supported the artist, featuring personal letters, period
costume, historical artefacts and influential artwork.

• Constable: Walking the Landscape (11 July to 4 October 2026) – A celebration
of Constable’s deep connection to the Suffolk countryside, including rarely
seen works and personal paintings from his childhood home.

• Constable to Contemporary (24 October 2026 to 28 February 2027) – A
dynamic exhibition exploring modern responses to Constable’s legacy.
Also taking place as part of the 250th anniversary celebrations will be a series of
community events and learning programmes, aimed at sparking a connection
between art and the natural world for audiences across the county.
I know that several village organisations are planning events next year and I have
asked Babergh’s cultural team if we could host some of the community and learning
sessions.
Democracy in Planning

Plannning Committees are a cornerstone of the planning process. Elected
representatives, who are familiar with the locations of planning applications and their
communities, are able to review and decide whether to grant planning permission.
Last year the Babergh Planning Committee decided 8.6% of planning applications.
The rest were decided by the professional planning officers. Larger and more
controversial sites go to the Planning Committee.
The government is proposing to curtail the work of planning committees, claiming
that they are slowing down the planning process and creating uncertainty for
developers. I disagree with this analysis and proposed a motion which was recently
passed unanimously at full council – we will be writing to the government to express
our grave reservations about their plans for planning committees. I do not believe
committees are a significant source of delay in the system. The delays are caused
by lengthy s106 negotiations and by developers failing to build out sites with
planning permission in a reasonable time.
Nevertheless the government wishes to strictly control which applications can be
heard by committee – all their suggestions reduce the role of committees and so
reduce the democratic input from councillors.
The government also proposes to require mandatory training for members of the
committee. In Babergh we already train members in the technicalities of considering
planning applications before they sit on the committee. The new chair of the
planning committee plans more training on ecology and design.
Neighbourhood Plans were also dealt a blow since my last report. The government
withdrew funding for parishes to produce a Neighbourhood Plan. This, again,
weakens the ability of residents to influence development in their area and reduces
the democratic input of the people who live where development is proposed.
However, Neighbourhood CIL can be used to fund Neighbourhood Plans and
Babergh has plans in place to support communities who do not have Neighbourhood
CIL so that NPs can still progress. It is our priority to encourage Neighbourhood
Plans and we will not let this action from government put a stop to that.
Grazing Walks
A new initiative from Babergh and Mid Suffolk council is the ‘Grazing Walks’ guide,
highlighting perfect places to enjoy a picturesque walk followed by a treat at a local
pub, cafe or independent shop. We live in a beautiful place and this guide will
suggest ways to enjoy the countryside. East Bergholt does not make an appearance
– questions will be asked! Find out more on the Heart of Suffolk website:
heartofsuffolk.co.uk/grazing-walks

Councillor Sallie Davies. Sallie.davies@babergh.gov.uk