EAST BERGHOLT PARISH COUNCIL . DISTRICT COUNCILLOR’S REPORT
BUDGET
Discussions on how to balance the £944,000 shortfall in the Council’s General Fund
and how to finance costs sustainably over the next few years are ongoing.
Charges to Parish Councils for emptying litter and dog bins may rise for example.
Various licence fees and charges for services are also likely to rise although nothing
has been decided yet. Each department has been asked to find cuts.
A substantial amount of long-term income could come from charging for short-term
car parking in Hadleigh and Sudbury. This has provoked a Conservative Councillor
to start a petition against car park charges which has gained enough signatures to
trigger a full council debate on the matter. The details of the suggested charges are
yet to be released and Cabinet intends to consult before deciding whether to go
forward with charges. Babergh is the only council in Suffolk not to charge for car
parking.
NEW COUNCIL HOMES
42 new council properties were let over the last 12 months in Babergh. 22 in
Wherstead, 2 in Nedging Tye and 18 at Chilton Woods in Sudbury.
LIVING WELL IN WINTER FUNDING
More than 30 community projects in Babergh and Mid Suffolk have each received a
share of more than £36,000 to keep residents warm and connected this winter. This
is a repeat of last year’s funding round. A very interesting range of projects have
been awarded grants between £500 and £2,000, including a Teen Warm Hub,
Parent and Toddler groups, Warm Space and Soup Lunches and ‘Get Out and
About’ at the East Bergholt Community Café.
COUNCIL TAX PREMIUM ON SECOND HOMES AND EMPTY PROPERTIES
There are almost 600 empty properties in Babergh. The Council wants to bring them
back into use to meet housing need. From this April, new legislation allows the
council to target empty homes after just one year rather than wait for two years
under the current law. The Cabinet is likely to impose extra Council Tax, perhaps
double the normal rate, on the owners of these properties. The extra charge would
continue to rise if the property remains empty for longer. In addition, from April
2025, the council can double the Council Tax on the 576 second home owners in
Babergh.
CONSIDERATE CONSTRUCTION SCHEME
Babergh has become the first rural council to sign up to this scheme, which aims to
minimise the disruption caused by building developments. Developers will be
encouraged to sign up to the scheme when they are granted planning permission but
it will be mandatory where construction could have a severe disruptive impact. The
Red Lion Development must surely be a candidate for the mandatory scheme.
Sallie Davies. January 2024