PARISH COUNCIL REPORT FEBRUARY 2026
Heath Road
The Hills application for the second phase on the Heath Road development is
still not scheduled to go before the planning committee as the planning officer
is still waiting for responses from two of the necessary consultees.
Asset of Community Value
After a meeting of residents at Old Hall last year, parish councillors promised
to consider applying to make the old Co-Op shop an asset of community
value. After taking advice from officers at Babergh, there is a reasonable
chance of a successful application so the Parish Clerk and I have started
gathering evidence. We would like to include as many statements from
residents as possible relating to the community value of having a well-used
shop in the centre of the village, particularly in their own experience as a
place where people see and talk to others.

As you will be aware, weekly food waste collections and the ability to recycle
more items from home – like glass, Tetra Pak, plastic bags and film – are coming
to Suffolk, including Babergh and Mid Suffolk, this summer.
Residents across the county will start receiving their new bins over coming
months, alongside information about their new recycling services, including
what goes in each bin.
Better Recycling updates

The first thing landing on doormats across January and February, is a pre-
information pack, detailing the upcoming changes and what residents can
expect.

Additionally, Better Recycling social media platforms have been created across
a variety of channels, helping to share all the important information that
residents need to know ahead of the changes coming in June. Please help to
get the message across to residents.
Call for Sites
Babergh and Mid Suffolk have received a total of 1100 potential sites for
development after its recent call for sites. The planning team are currently
working their way through the sites. Not all will be suitable for development
and, even if deemed suitable, this does not mean they will be developed. The
councils plan to publish the sites with a map once the initial sift has taken place.
These sites will help the council to plan for the 775 houses we must build
across Babergh each year. That is if we have the skills to build them and
despite the fact that volume housing developers have no financial incentive to

build that fast.

Stour Power Community Energy
I attended the launch of this new initiative involving communities along the River
Stour. There are already two directors from East Bergholt, including myself.
Stour Power aims to develop community-owned renewable energy projects—
like solar PV, heat networks, and pumped hydro—to cut carbon emissions and
deliver local social and economic benefits.
It will raise funds through grants, community events, share offers, and ethical
finance. Any surplus is reinvested into future projects or used for wider
community benefit.
The team aims to work with schools, community groups, and local businesses
to install clean energy systems, prioritising community-owned assets and
ensuring any private partnerships deliver clear public value. They also raise
awareness, promote sustainability education, and empower local people to take
part in the energy transition.
The project is in its infancy however anyone is welcome to get involved
And related to the above:

Thermal Cameras
Suffolk residents can now borrow a thermal camera from their local library for free to
detect where heat is escaping their homes and take action to stop the leaks.
This collaboration with Suffolk Community Libraries gives anyone over 18 with a
library card the opportunity to take thermal images of their own home.
To take part:

1. Sign up for a library card, if you don’t already have one. Suffolk library cards are
free, simply sign up on the website or ask at your local library.
2. If you live in or around Ipswich, you can collect a camera by visiting Ipswich
County Library or book a camera online, just as you would reserve a book and it’ll
make its way to your local library for you to collect.
3. Take your pictures. The cameras are straightforward to use, and all come with a
handy step-by-step guide.
4. Return the camera to the library so someone else can borrow it.
There is no obligation to make your home more energy efficient if you borrow one of
the thermal cameras. However, Sustainable Suffolk offer lots of free advice on quick
and easy ways to ‘plug’ the leaks that you can do yourself such as draft excluders
and thermal curtain linings. They also provide a booklet that highlights grants and
support available to Suffolk residents for bigger improvements, such as thicker loft
insulation.

And finally: Ipswich bids for City of Culture 2029
Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Councils are backing Ipswich’s bid to become City
of Culture 2029. Yes I know – Ipswich is not a city but it can still make a bid.
DanceEast is leading the development of Ipswich’s ‘Expression of Interest’ for the
2029 City of Culture competition, with a deadline of 8 February, 2026.
The government’s Department for Culture, Media and Sport will then longlist up to
eight bids, awarding each a grant of £60,000 to support them with developing and
strengthening their full application over a three-to-four-month period from February
until May/June 2026.
The winning place gets a guaranteed £10 million of Government funding to help
deliver its year-long programme of events.
People are being asked to go to www.ipswich2029.com and sign up to show their
support.

Sallie.davies@babergh.gov.uk