In Touch/ Parish report October 2021

Another month has gone by and the Pandemic Restrictions are continuing to ease but with
rising infection rates albeit with reduced severity in most cases, it still pays to follow the
basic advice, Hands Face Space.
The council has nearly completed the annual canvas of voters. After the fiasco of the e-mails
to those whose address it had and the spam reports and confusion, anyone who was not
contacted was sent a written version with an encouragement to go on line with any
alterations. Those with no changes to report need not do anything, so the council must be
assuming that the postal system is more reliable than the electronic means! (I’m afraid the
pandemic is affecting the “common sense” element of local government.)
Three areas where “consultation is used or not used depending on your viewpoint! Afghan
refugee housing. These people need help, but so do our residents and if there are spare
homes, (Apparently larger ones are required so no “bedroom tax”,) then our residents will
have to wait in the queue. The Government has some 7,000 ex-military homes empty which
they could use, but they want to sell them off. Well that’s what the financial press says.
Then there is the vexed question of “Devolution” for Suffolk. Anyone worried about the
constitutional merger of Babergh and Mid Suffolk, look away now as the proposals would be
based around the rejected labour plans under John Prescott. Then there is the odd one out.
The previous two there was no public consultation, not even with councillors but when it
comes to parking then there is a public consultation process. I’m afraid that my view is that
without adequate enforcement, not the police anymore although who saw police in the
village recently, then any changes are not worth the paint on the road?
There is one area where the consultation process was conducted. The Draft Joint Local Plan
to set the rules for development across the districts. Unfortunately, the Pandemic has
delayed the examination by the Planning Inspector but that has not stopped the supporting
“evidence” submitted to justify the proposals and issued with the original “Draft”, from
being altered and radically changed. The examination in public (well via Zoom) starts again
at the end of September but the councils will be submitting new documents before then but
without actually “consulting” with anyone. I have told the Inspector that the absence of
consultation and even awareness of these changes in the evidence makes the Draft Plan
invalid, and the whole process with public consultation should be restarted! We will see but
if “democracy” is to survive it needs to be with the consent of the people and therefore they
need to be told what is happening before decisions are made, not afterwards.
The news this month of the “significant find” made during the archaeological dig on the
Heath Road building site is important for east Bergholt and its history. I hope that they
continue and find the remains of John Constables fathers mill as well as we all know its
there somewhere, why else “Mill Road” and “Mill Cottages”? I hope the sites are properly
protected and left exposed for visitors to see rather than the usual practice of documenting,
photographing, and burying! Image what would be the tourist attraction of Flatford Mill or
Willie Lotts cottage if they had been bulldozed and a plaque left in their place! We seem all

too keen to exploit our history until money gets in the way and then we just record and bury
it!
The news on Fen Bridge is that it will be dismantled soon. That will save the County funding
being used to repair and replace the buoys and rope across the river to stop boats which
just keep moving it. Enforcement !
Lastly but a piece of good news, there is a proposed concert in St Marys church at the end of
October to celebrate the lives of all those who were taken from us during the last two years
and whose life was not properly celebrated at their funeral. Local talent will perform, and I
am sure that a moving and properly reverent occasion will be had by all who are able to
attend.
In the meantime, stay safe, be cautious, and above all stay healthy.

Cllr John Hinton
East Bergholt Ward.
01026 298309