DISTRICT COUNCILLOR’S REPORT December 2025

New Application on Heath Road next to GP Surgery
I have filed an objection to this application as District Councillor. We await a date for the
planning committee hearing

Volunteers and Grants
I attended a ‘Grant Summit’ last month to make sure I am aware of all the funding opportunities
out there for village organisations. What struck me was the number and the commitment of
groups and volunteers in our county, without whom many activities and so much support could
not happen. 64% of volunteers in Suffolk are over 51 and 25% over 65 years old. Younger
people have less time to volunteer and the number of volunteers has decreased as the cost of
living has risen. But I have to say that the power and energy of older people is keeping our
communities alive and that is certainly true in East Bergholt. The work is often invisible but it is
vital.
There is money out there for groups that make a difference in their community. I am pleased to
see that East Bergholt Tennis Club have secured £1698 in Live Well in Winter funding for indoor
tennis and Pickleball. Whether it is money for improving facilities, existing or new projects,
equipment or training, it is worth groups taking a look at what is on offer. Suffolk County Council
run a grant alert service and they have templates for funding applications. Go to
www.suffolk.gov.uk and search for ‘charities’
Plus there is advice on all aspects of starting and running community organisations at Community
Action Suffolk: www.communityactionsuffolk.org.uk
Trees along the boundary of Constable Gardens
I have been asked (a lot!) about the trees that should have been planted along the boundary of
Constable Gardens which can be seen when entering East Bergholt on the B1070 from the A12. I
asked a planning enforcement officer at Babergh to take a look and he carried out a site visit. It
appears that “an appreciable amount of planting did occur but has not taken / established or
failed. There are some larger specimens of some evergreen shrubs & trees of which some
appear in reasonable condition, and others have certainly failed.”. The developer has agreed to
replace the lost trees and shrubs and to mulch and maintain the planting so the vegetation can
establish.
This planting is not going to screen the whole development. The original plan specified a mixture
of groundcover shrubs punctuated by trees so is not a solid screen. I know many residents
would like a substantial row of trees to soften the view because the development has made such
a change to the entrance of the village. We cannot change the planning permission along that
boundary to create a full screen, however we should explore other alternatives.

Asylum Seekers and Refugees
There has been a great deal of media coverage about housing asylum seekers in hotels and other types of accommodation. Asylum seekers are held initially in centres for days or weeks and are
then ‘dispersed’ to longer term accommodation while their claim is processed. This is the situation in Babergh:

There are no initial holding centres in Babergh
There are currently no asylum seekers housed in hotels in Babergh.
Serco run the Home Office contract to find ‘dispersal’ accommodation in the East of England. This means Serco makes the decision about where to house asylum seekers. The company seeks to
find accommodation in the private sector for this purpose. Serco do not use social housing – (council and housing association properties).
Serco consults the county and district councils, police and health service when looking at properties to accommodate asylum seekers. Babergh officers inform the district councillor for the area and
feedback to Serco any concerns raised by council departments, for example about community tensions, anti-social behaviour, lack of public transport and other services. Ultimately the decision
where to place asylum seekers will be made by Serco and the Home Office. Babergh meet with Serco regularly to monitor placements.
Babergh has no duty to house homeless asylum seekers. The situation is different for Refugees. A refugee is a successful asylum seeker and the Home Office is satisfied their case is genuine. A
refugee is entitled to homelessness assistance.
There is no help available for ‘irregular migrants’, These are people who, for various reasons, have no right to stay in the UK. They are not entitled to benefits or homelessness assistance. This is
called ‘no recourse to public funds’.
I must stress that the number of asylum seekers housed by the government in Babergh and Mid Suffolk is extremely small compared to other areas of the country. Rural areas are often not the best
place to house asylum seekers.

Local Government Reorganisation
Suffolk County Council and the five district and town councils in Suffolk have now approved and submitted their proposals to central government for how local government should be reorganised in
Suffolk. We now wait for the government’s decision. The government is expected to launch a public consultation in November 2025, running until February 2026, before making a final decision.

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

The Grange Update
The planning permission to create 80 permanent residences on The Grange caravan park is
proving more complicated than first thought. Babergh planners are considering what impact
such a decision would have on other mobile home parks in Babergh and Mid Suffolk and the
effect on holiday accommodation for the tourist industry. I have been unable to reassure the
residents in relation to who is included in the potential 80 permanent units as Babergh do not
have this information and the operator does not wish to disclose this information before the
permission is granted. So the uncertainty continues and I am in touch with some of the
resideents. We should hold a meeting with residents to discuss their options because they are
being left in the dark at the moment.

Exciting Map!!
I have spoken about the Local Nature Recovery Strategy previously. It is a fascinating document
setting out plans to recover nature and improve biodiversity in Suffolk. It comes with a map which
shows all the areas in Suffolk which are designated as special and those which could be used to
improve nature and biodiversity. Check out the East Bergholt area. For instance the area to the
right of the Constable Hall as you enter the car park and the area along the Donkey Track are
indiated as potential areas for nature recovery. Here’s the link:
Suffolk Local Habitat Map

Locality Funding
I am pleased to say I have allocated all of my £2000 Locality Fund for this financial year. I gave
money to the Christmas Fair for live music, the Barbizon Twinning Association for an outing, East
Bergholt Dramatic Society for new scenery flats, the Lambe School for disability access
improvements and the 1
st
Brantham Scout and Guide Hut for repairs. The latter is attended by
many East Bergholt children.
Sheltered Housing
Babergh cabinet approved the decommissioning of some of its Sheltered Housing recently. This is
housing for the elderly which includes communal areas and a Warden call system. The housing
department carried out a very comprehensive consultation with almost all the relevant residents.
They overwhelmingly said they did not need the services provided by Sheltered Housing, despite
paying for these services. After the decommissioning, residents will be able to arrange their own
alarm or call systems. The properties will remain designated as dwellings for older people.
During the cabinet discussions, it emerged that the demand for Sheltered Housing generally has
reduced considerably as more older people prefer to stay in their own homes and more older
people retain independence for longer.
Local Government Reorganisation (LGR)

The government’s consultation on LGR in Suffolk is now open until 11 January. The consultation
seeks views on the two proposals submitted for Suffolk: the Three Councils for Suffolk case
submitted jointly by the district and borough councils, and One Suffolk, submitted by Suffolk
County Council.
You can find out more here Welcome – Three Councils For Suffolk including the benefits of our
case for businesses, residents, town and parish councils and for the voluntary and community
sector. In addition to our case in full, there are also Q&As which may help you respond to queries
from residents. The site also includes a link to the One Suffolk website from Suffolk County
Council. I have loads of leaflets if councillors have anywhere to put them……

Local government reorganisation in Norfolk and Suffolk – GOV.UK

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