East Bergholt Parish Council, Chairs report 12 March 2026

Babergh Call for sites
Last week Babergh published the sites that have been submitted by Developers for housing.
These sites will now undergo an assessment in Babergh with relation to planning policy fit to
establish which of these sites might be included in the Joint Local Plan. The number of sites
submitted, particularly to the east of Babergh, south of Ipswich, Capel St Mary and
Brantham is somewhat alarming. 2 smaller sites are in East Bergholt, north and west of
Moores Lane and north of B1070 adjacent to the High school.

Orange is submission 2024, purple is new submissions in 2026. None have yet been assessed.

It is not expected that all of these sites will be approved, but in order to understand how
Babergh will examine their policies against the proposals, a group of parish councils along
the border south of Ipswich and down the A12 has been formed under the leadership of
Babergh Councillor Helen Davies to research these options and share issues. I asked Nigel
Roberts to attend the inaugural meeting of this group last Monday in Sproughton.

Conservation Area Proposals Launch, 28 Feb 2026
We launched the Conservation Area extension proposals at a public exhibition on Sat 28
Feb, 9.00-2.30pm. The event was well attended with a steady flow of people coming
through the doors and asking very useful questions. I am pleased to report that the overall
view of our residents was very positively in favour of these proposed extensions. Also a
number of detailed and consistent questions were raised and these will be helpful in
adjusting the design of the posters for Babergh’s formal launch of the consultation process.
Following a further meeting with Babergh officers following the event, we expect the formal
consultation process to begin in May 2026, immediately after the purdah period for the
county council elections has expired. The expected process is that Babergh will write to all
households within the conservation area proposed boundaries to ask for their views. At the
same time they will ask the Parish Council to host another public meeting where Babergh
can present the information to all residents of the village and invite their feedback. I expect
there also to be information on Babergh’s website and an invitation to all residents to
submit their views. The consultation period is likely to last 2 weeks after which Babergh

officers will submit reports to the Babergh Cabinet and then full Council to make a decision
on whether or not to approve the new conservation area boundary.

East Bergholt Community Council
EBCC came up with an excellent idea for the village show in Constable’s 250
th
anniversary
year of his birth. They propose to print a large “paint-by-numbers” line drawing of
Constable’s painting “A boat going through a Lock” showing Flatford lock. They will invite
people from all over the village to come and paint a little bit of the painting so that we end
up with a whole village-made tribute to Constable. They will also take the painting on tour
of the schools so that local children can finish it off. I have been involved in assisting this
project by obtaining the copyright permission of the paintings owners, and by connecting
them to Clubb Creative who have designed the line drawing and are arranging for it to be
printed. Ipswich Museum and Flatford National Trust have both asked if they can exhibit the
finished result.

Parish Magazine article. Every 4 months I am invited to write the leader article for the
Parish Magazine and April is one of those months. I have written an article telling them all
about the In Our View work that the Parish Council is coordinating and giving examples of all
the many events that local organisations are putting on to celebrate Constable’s 250the
birthday.

CPSO I met with Suffolk Constabulary again alongside Mal Bridgeman, Brantham PC Chair,
for further discussions on the PCSO options. I have written an update paper for council this
month and hope to have the final report ready for either April or May council meeting.

Congregational church – the charity commissioners have written back to the Deacons about
the proposal to hand over the congregational church to the PC charity. It seems that the
Charity Commission are in some confusion as to the proposal and so I will be talking again to
our solicitor in the very near future so that we can work productively with the Deacons to
progress matters forward again.

EBCLT Following our extraordinary council meeting, EBCLT have written to me as they would
like an opportunity to talk to the Parish Councillors about the types of proposals for local
affordable housing you think would be valuable to support.

EB In Our View Group. I attended another meeting of this group, chaired by Marion Burns. It
is amazing to see how many village organisations are getting involved and how many events
are planned. It is also good to see that we had representatives from Brantham and Dedham
parish councils involved. The Parish Council is playing an active and valuable role in
stimulating ideas, helping people to get started, coordinating activity to avoid too many
clashes of events and in advertising and marketing the events planned.

Joan Miller, 10.3.26