Parish Council

6 May 2025

NSIPs and large-scale energy projects progress.

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17 March 2025

BABERGH AND MID SUFFOLK DISTRICT COUNCILS
Statement of Community Involvement Consultation
Monday 17 March 2025 to Monday 12 May 2025 (8 weeks)

COMMUNICATION RECEIVED FROM BABERGH AND MID SUFFOLK DISTRICT COUNCILS

This concerns a proposal to stop sending neighbour letters for certain types of planning applications, as most of the neighbour comments are received electronically. There is a statutory requirement that Babergh and Mid Suffolk notify neighbouring residents about a planning application by sending a letter, or by placing a site notice on display in the relevant location. Currently they do both.

Consultation FAQs
Can you explain the purpose of this consultation?
We need our services to run in the most effective way possible, whilst prioritising our spending. We are proposing to stop sending neighbour letters to let people know about certain types of planning applications being considered in their community and we need to know what people think of this.

What type of planning applications will be affected?
We will still send letters where the planning application involves 10 or more homes (Major
applications) but not for other types. These are:
• Minor applications which are developments of between 1 and 9 homes
• Householder applications, which include extensions, loft conversions, doors and
windows, fences, gates and garden walls or outbuildings
• Others, which include Listed Building Consents, changes of use, advertisements.

Why are you considering these changes?
There are two reasons.
The first reason is we don’t think this approach is especially efficient. For instance, in the financial year 2023/24, we sent 22,515 letters and we only received 1,352 replies. This is a 6.0% response rate which is very low. The bulk of our neighbour comments are coming electronically.
The second reason is the cost. We spend £2.80 on each letter (this includes not only postage but officer time to prepare the letters, envelope cost, printing etc). If we look at how many letters we sent in the financial year 2023/24, the cost to us is £63,042. We don’t think this is the best way for people to know about planning applications in their area and we don’t think this provides value for money for our council taxpayers.

I thought you had to notify people affected by new developments.
Our current ‘Statement of Community Involvement’ requires us to let people know, by posting letters to neighbours whose boundary is closest the site and by placing a notice on site. We must also advertise certain new planning applications in the local press. What the Council does exceeds the statutory duty. We do inform our Town and Parish Councils; their meetings tend to have an item on their Agenda to discuss local planning matters and members of the public can attend to provide their views. We also have a Public Access webpage people can access on their computer, mobile phone or tablet device. This online system tells people about applications in their areas as well as allowing them to submit their comments or find historical applications. Our experience is that use of this system is increasing year on year, with more than 1.5 million searches being done in 2024 alone.

If you send me a letter, do I have to reply?
No, the letter simply tells you what is being proposed. It also explains where you can get more answers and how to tell us what you think. It doesn’t make your comments any more important than anyone else’s. Most smaller scale development tends to be straightforward. Often it won’t have a big impact on neighbours so some people may very well receive our letters but decide there is nothing they want to say.

I don’t have a computer, so I won’t be able to access your system
We know that people without a computer will not be able to access our Public Access system and this will place them at a disadvantage over people who do have a computer. You can however use the Public Access system on most modern mobile phone and tablet devices. You can also use computers at most libraries to access our planning system. The Planning department is also keen to support anyone to use our Public Access system. Please contact us at planning@baberghmidsuffolk.gov.uk or call us on 0300 123 4000 (option 5 then
option 3).

How do I provide my view on these changes?
By completing the survey via the link below. The consultation will run for the next eight weeks and closes on 12 May 2025.

When will these changes come into effect?
We will wait for the consultation to close and then carefully examine what people have told us. Any possible changes should be adopted by early Summer 2025.

Survey Link: https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/bmsdcSCI/

Should you need to discuss any part of this consultation please contact:
David Clarke - Service Improvement Advisor (Sustainable Communities)
Email: david.clarke@baberghmidsuffolk.gov.uk
Mobile: 07799 515774
https://www.babergh.gov.uk/w/planning-consultations
https://www.midsuffolk.gov.uk/w/planning-consultations

 

22 January 2025

Update from Scottish Renewables - East Anglia Three

Siemens Energy have been given permission by the local planning authority to work on Sunday 26 January. Work will take place between 0700 and 1600 within the converter hall building. 

More information about the project is available on the Scottish Power Renewables website at www.spreastanglia.co.uk.

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20 January 2025

Devolution Update

Suffolk County Council have asked us to share this briefing on the English Devolution White Paper and it's implications for Suffolk.

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2 January 2025

To : All Towns/Parishes within the policing area covered by community police officers PC 1293 Niall Johnson and PC Katie Jarrett.

Police need to alert you to a burglary/theft crime series that is occurring across our policing patch (and beyond). I have put a screenshot of map of offences below, this will be more up to date that what you can currently see on the Suffolk Police website, you can see a glow around the square marks in Nayland, that means more than one offence in that specific location. I have some crime prevention tips that we would like you to pass onto as many people in your parishes as possible, feel free to copy and paste the advice between the lines below and share onto members of the public. Burglaries have included some house burglaries, where the offender will simply walk around the back of an address, try the back door, let themselves in and take whatever they can get their hands on in the first room/s, such as handbags/phones etc, this happens when the person is at home and has been occurring typically in the evenings. Some vehicles have been broken into, with items such as wallets and cash stolen. In addition to those type of offences, various sheds, outbuildings, garages etc have been broken into, with items stolen ranging from quad bikes to power tools.

Four individuals were arrested recently and a lot of suspected stolen property recovered, police are working through the lists and examining what has been seized, trying to match it up with crimes that have occurred and return the items to their owners. Despite the arrests, some offences are still continuing. Police are continuing to patrol in an effort to prevent/detect these offences. In addition to the patrols, other policing activity and tactics has been implemented which led to those recent arrests and recovery of property.

CRIME PREVENTION ADVICE – SHORT VERSION

Lock your back door in the evening, even when you are at home. Do not leave valuables on display in vehicles, do not leave valuables in vehicles at all. Consider getting CCTV, even if just a video doorbell (police now recommend the defender video doorbell available here https://defendersecurityproducts.co.uk/ as no subscription fee). Get an alarm for outbuildings, even if it is a cheap battery one that is attached with fishing wire to one item of value, so when moved an alarm goes off and the offender/s will likely flee. Take photographs of your items of value, make a note of colour, make, model and the serial number. Consider security marking up your items, with either UV pen or for power tools even scratching or embossing something identifiable on it. Those final tips are invaluable for when police recover items.

CRIME PREVENTION ADVICE – LONG VERSION

HOUSE SECURITY

On your front door, have a door chain or door bar and viewer (spy hole) * Front boundaries should be less than 1m high (your neighbours and passers-by clearly should be able to see the front of your property) * Rear boundaries should be 1.8m high with locked gates (to prevent easy rear access - also remove climbing aids) * Remove tools/bricks from the garden that could be used to force entry * Always lock garages, sheds and outbuildings * Have dusk to dawn lighting at the front and back * Always lock your doors with the key and keep your windows secure, even when you’re at home * Install an alarm * Install CCTV  * Leave lights on timers * Create layers of security * Mark your property with UV pen (I have these available at my monthly events) * Avoid keeping cash at home * Hide car keys *

You can now buy TV light simulators as well, which flash lights as if there is a television on in your house, I would recommend one of those, they are around £10-15. The video doorbell that police now recommend is called a Defender Video Doorbell which can be purchased here https://defendersecurityproducts.co.uk/ and is £100, it has no subscription fee, if you are not installing full CCTV consider one of these at the front and potentially one at the back of your property if/when you can afford it. There are tech sales on right now with large reductions on full CCTV systems. I have recently purchased a Blink CCTV system which seems good, the cameras are wireless and with the use of a USB memory stick put into the device inside your home, you do not need a subscription either.

SHED AND GARDEN SECURITY

* Always keep your shed or garage locked * Use dusk to dawn lights * Use coach bolts to fasten hinged and hasps and staples or pad bar * Fit anchor points to secure items to * Fit an alarm and use it * Avoid storing high value items in the shed * Cover windows in the shed * Use two good quality closed shackle padlocks to secure the shed door * Always lock internal doors between the garage and house * Add ground mounted locking bars to enhance security on 'up and over' garage doors * Use two good quality closed shackled padlocks or a 5 lever mortice and rim lock (BS3621) to secure garage doors * Lock all garage windows * Try to have it covered by a CCTV system *

VEHICLE SECURITY

* Most importantly, avoid keeping valuables in your vehicle and do not leave any on display - including sun glasses and charging cables * Always lock doors and shut windows and remove the key when the vehicle is unattended * Always set an alarm if your vehicle has one and act if you hear an alarm * Park in a garage or secure well-lit area covered by CCTV if possible * Use a physical security device such as a steering lock and/or wheel lock * When you park away from home or work, try to use 'Park Mark' approved car park * Use Secured By Design (SBD) accredited products to add extra security to your vehicle ( link here www.securedbydesign.com ) * Use a Faraday pouch to securely store entry fobs for keyless entry vehicles *

RECORDING / MARKING

Sometimes when searches are made, police recover suspected stolen property, but due to no security markings or due to the victim not reporting the theft (so police have no record of it) the property is hard to return to the rightful owner. For that reason, you should always report burglaries and also keep a note of any expensive property, record the description, make, model, colour and serial number. Personally, whenever I get a new item of property that this is worth doing with, I take a couple of photographs on my phone including the serial number then simply email the images to myself and keep that email safe. It is also worth registering your items on the immobilise website here www.immobilise.com

Burglary Offences in the Hadleigh and surrounding parishes area

PC 1293 Johnson’s patch. 1/11/24 – 22/12/24.

 

 

Burglary Offences in the East Babergh area

PC 582 Jarret’s patch. 1/11/24 – 22/12/24.

 

 

Please remember not to report individual crimes directly to either myself of Kate, as we only investigate specific crime types. Instead, public should use 999 in an emergency if they think a crime is in progress (or about to be committed), 101 or online via the Suffolk Police website if the incident has already happened and the risk is reduced, or sometimes the Live Chat function is available on the Suffolk Police website as well. Feel free to share any community intelligence about criminality with us directly though and we can offer advice on various police related issues. If anyone has any public events throughout the year, let us know about those as well, as when they fit with our shifts and commitments we can attend with advice leaflets, UV marker pens, colouring sheets, stickers and uniform for children to try on.

I apologise for all the doom and gloom and being the bearer of such news. But prevention and target hardening can make a real difference and can certainly reduce the likelihood of crime happening to someone if they follow the above advice. Please remember to follow the Hadleigh and East Babergh Facebook page to see community related posts from myself and Kate and encourage your residents to do the same.

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29 October 2024

A1071 / The Street Junction

The Parish Council would like to thank Steve Hicks and his 'band of volunteers' who have cleared the mud out of the pit around the culverts, and cut away the surrounding brambles. This should mean that the potential flood hazard to motorists is now virtually eliminated. 

The main cause of the problem was a bucket that had wedged bottom first into the lower culvert and was stopping any water draining away. This led to mud gradually being deposited at this point instead of being washed away.

Following the ditches being cleared by the farmer, it was clear to see that the pipes were blocked; a report was submitted to Suffolk County Council Highways alerting them to the problem. The volunteers stepped in to undertake the investigations and works following the Suffolk Highways response that having visited the site, and assessed the situation against their Highway Maintenance Operational Plan (HMOP), they would not take action as the situation did not meet their intervention criteria.

Once again, we'd all like to thank the volunteers who came together for the benefit of the village.

 

23 October 2024

Communication from Groundwork and Comic Relief

Comic Relief Community Fund - grants of up to £5,000

Groundwork and Comic Relief have announced a new funding programme to support community groups and grass-roots organisations to deliver services and activities that benefit local people across England.

The Comic Relief Community Fund, which launched on Monday 14 October 2024 sees applications open for grants of up to £5,000 for core organisational costs, direct project related costs or a combination of both, on a flexible basis and depending on need.

Voluntary or community organisations including registered charities and not for profit companies which deliver against any of the four thematic areas can apply; tackling immediate impacts of hardship, building resilience to poverty and hardship, working to support equity and inclusion, or working to support climate justice.

Groundwork has worked with Comic Relief since 2019 as an intermediary funder in England with £5.9m invested to over 1,300 projects.

 

 

 

9 October 2024

Communication from Babergh District Council