DISTRICT COUNCILLOR REPORT TO PARISH COUNCIL
August 2026
Fire in East Bergholt
I was able to thank the Fire and Rescue Service for their swift and effective action
when a field caught fire near Putticks Lane in July. I thanked them for keeping our
village safe.

The Haywain: Walking Constable’s Landscape
The exhibition currently on at Christchurch Mansion, Ipswich, supported by Babergh
and Mid Suffolk District Council, includes the painting labelled an ‘icon of British Art’
by one of the National Gallery’s experts: Constable’s The Haywain. The rest of the
works on show are all views around East Bergholt as the exhibition traces the walks
Constable regularly took in and around our village. It is on until 4 October 2026. I
recommend a visit.
Empty Homes

Babergh has been instructed to build hundreds of houses every year in the district
and yet there are homes sitting empty. To get these houses back in use, the district
council has an empty homes initiative called ‘Houses 4 Homes’.

It aims to help fulfil the growing housing need, and offer more choice to the market,
by reducing the number of long-term empty homes within the districts.
We work with landlords and owners of empty properties to get them occupied again.

If you are aware of an empty property, please report it by calling the customer
services team on 0300 1234000 or email enquiries@houses4homes.org
Foxhall Fields .
I have been trying to sort out a couple of garages on Foxhall Fields that are falling
down and which continue to be some sort of rubbish dump for some residents. We
have been through all the legal steps and I am now waiting for a council team to
knock down and clean up the offending structures. This is taking longer than it
should.
Yew Cottage Gandish Road
I have reported this house as an empty property to the Babergh empty homes
scheme and also to the heritage team as it is an asset of heritage value.
Unfortunately it is beginning to deteriorate as it has been uninhabited for some time.
Grange Park and Hills Development on Heath Road
No news on Grange Park and the Hills Development which is disappointing. I do
regularly chase these matters. With regards to Hills, the planning officer was about

to hear from the developer as to whether they were willing to amend the scheme so
it was acceptable to the planners. I do not know what would make it acceptable but
we will have to wait. On Grange Park, the operator of the park has another similar
site in Breckland where they have reached agreement with the district council to
make some dwellings permanent. The planning officer is hoping to reach a similar
agreement but, again, I cannot get any information at the moment.
Swimming Pool
I have a meeting planned with the director of Abbeycroft who run Babergh’s sports
centres. I plan to discuss the swimming pool and the playing fields and the role of
the sports centre in village life. I had been told work had been done on the viability
of a pool but that does not seem to have materialised.

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