Parish Council Report November 2023
Listed Buildings and energy efficiency
On Tuesday 7 November Babergh Cabinet will be considering proposals to make it
easier for owners of listed buildings to make their homes warmer and more energy
efficient. The first step is a seven-week consultation with owners, tradespeople and
heritage organisations. The aim is to streamline the process for installing energy-
efficient measures in listed buildings, or related improvement works. The end result
would be a Local Listed Building Planning Consent Order. The consultation, if
agreed, will start on 10 November 2023 and end on 29 December 2023. There may
be a pilot project at some point and I will be putting in a word for East Bergholt!
Locality Fund
As a District Councillor, I have £2000 to distribute to East Bergholt community
organisations. I am keen to give out this money however I have had no requests.
If any community organisation would like some funding for new equipment,
improvements or projects, I am keen to hear from them.
All applications must benefit the communities in which the funded activity is taking
place, and full eligibility criteria as well as a breakdown of eligible projects can be
found on the Babergh District Council Website in the Locality Awards Guidance.
Council House Repairs
Babergh District Council has 3000 residential properties. The poor state of repair of
this housing stock has come as a shock to new Councillors. My colleagues have
seen homes in a bad state because the residents tried to complain and gave up or
did not like to complain in the first place. The Council itself has currently no system
to check regularly on properties so these homes have deteriorated without the
Council’s knowledge. This issue has gone to the top of the priority list for the new
administration and we are working to sort out this problem both in the short and long
term.
Joint Local Plan
Part 1 is due to be adopted by the Full Council later this month. It contains a raft of
policies relating to affordable housing, biodiversity, climate change and the historic
environment, to name but a few. Preparation of Part 2 is in progress and scheduled
to be sent to the Inspector by June 2025 and to be adopted by December 2026. We
will need to build 7,920 homes in the years to 2037. Part 2 will address site
allocation.
Trees and Planning
The Tree Preservation Orders on the Heath Road Oaks have been confirmed. The
Bund by the donkey track has been granted planning permission despite Parish
Council objections. I note that the conditions say ‘ prior to first planting, a long-term
management plan describing how the bund and planting will be managed shall be submitted
to, and agreed in writing by the Local Planning Authority. Thereafter, the bund shall be

managed wholly as agreed.’ This developer has a record of acting before it is
permitted to do so and we must keep a watch on any signs of work beginning on the
bund before its management is agreed.
Babergh is seeing a number of solar farm planning permissions coming towards it.
This will give rise to a predicament. We need more renewable energy but good
agricultural land is essential for our food supply and security. And the impact on the
landscape and nearby communities must be taken into account. There is likely to
be a Supplementary Planning Document setting out how Babergh will approach
these applications.
Enforcement
I will be attending the regular planning enforcement team meeting in December. I
will report back to you on what I discover. If you have any questions, please send
them to me so I can raise them at the meeting. Perhaps why one of our enforcement
cases has been outstanding for over 1000 days?
Sallie Davies
District Councillor.