Read report here: Suffolk-PCP-Annual-Report-2023-2024

Simon Barnet at SCC has sent out the following communication to councillors this morning 30/08/2024, including the route maps. Not the best of news for the interim service but SCC are still trying to mitigate.

Dear all,

I appreciate that this is probably too late for most of you to share with residents before Monday, but we have finally received the detailed route map for service 73 to go with the timetables Simonds have already published.

It is not fully following the route I intended, and we will be addressing this with Simonds as soon as possible, but for those intending to use the service next week please note the following:

Bardwell – the only stops will be at and opposite the Tithe Barn.

Shepherd’s Grove – they are still showing the route to the south of the site, rather than the stops by the café.

Walsham-le-Willows – they running down the Causeway rather than doing the entire village circuit.

I will endeavour to get some temporary bus stops put out at these locations over the weekend or first thing on Monday and we can look at a more permanent solution in the coming weeks if it proves impossible to revert to the existing stops.

Simon

Simon Barnett
Integrated Transport &Enhanced Partnership Manager
Passenger Transport
Suffolk County Council
Endeavour House
8 Russell Road
Ipswich
IP1 2BX
01473 265045

Councillor Chris Chambers, Suffolk County Council’s cabinet member for transport strategy, planning and waste, said:

Following on from the information circulated on 14^th August, we have reviewed the feedback received from various parishes which will be impacted by the changes to bus services operated by Simonds from the 2^nd of September.  The main areas of concern are detailed below:

1 Timing of services for students.  We believe that the enhanced 73 timetable will provide the best fit for students based on what we can achieve with one bus during the day.  The arrival times in Bury St Edmunds for both West Suffolk College and Abbeygate Sixth Form are slightly earlier than other routes serving those sites.  The return bus which leaves the Bus Station at 1615 will reach the school stops slightly later than the old 304/337/338 timetables (and also later than other school services) so again should give adequate time for students to get to the bus stop.  We appreciate that this will mean students on route 73 for Thurston will arrive earlier and depart later than would be preferred, but with only one bus available meeting Thurston session times would mean it arrives too late in Bury and would have to leave before the end of the college day.

2 Timing of services for workers.  Because the 73 service will be operated with one bus only, it is not possible to provide a later journey to accommodate workers.  Simonds state: it is not possible to provide a return journey in the evening from Bury St Edmunds to suit commuters, because the bus, having operated the journey from Bury St Edmunds that caters for all of the different school finish times, will be at the wrong end of the route (i.e. at Garboldisham), so cannot operate an extra journey from Bury St Edmunds. 

As per the previous statement about this service, we are using the last of our Bus Recovery Grant funding to support this route on a temporary basis until Christmas to give the parishes time to decide what the most effective long-term solution would be.  We do not have any additional budget to cover the costs of a later bus.  We are working with other operators and Community Transport providers to see if they can offer a late journey.  We will distribute information about this should one be agreed.

3 Lack of a Saturday service.  This also is not achievable within the funding we have for the short-term route.  Usage on Saturdays has traditionally been much lower than weekdays, so we have concentrated our funding on the times and days known to have the most use.

4 Diverting the 70/70A to Bardwell.  Simonds have considered this option for their commercial service (i.e. running without council subsidy), but state Unfortunately, following an assessment of the feasibility, it will not be possible to divert any buses on routes 70 / 70A through Bardwell. These routes are planned to operate with high capacity double deck vehicles on many journeys, and the roads into and out of Bardwell are very much not ideal for vehicles of this size. In addition, the time penalty of 10 minutes on the end to end journey time is considered too much for the number of additional passengers who would likely use the service.

We appreciate that this interim solution will not suit everybody, so would again urge parishes to find out what residents really need transport for and use that to submit a proposal to meet such needs through our BSIP funding portal.  Full details can be found at Bus Service Improvement Plan – service funding – Suffolkonboard

NOTE We are still waiting for the final registration paperwork from Simonds and the timetable details on suffolkonboard.com will be updated as soon as we have them.

The Parish Council, District and County Councillors are lobbying Suffolk County Council (SCC) for revisions to the temporary bus service timetable (effective 2nd September until 31st December). This has already been improved but still does not meet many basic travelling needs.  The aim, if possible, is to focus on influencing the timetable that will be put in place after December for the benefit of as many people as possible.

Please complete the form below as soon as possible, submitting one form for each service you use regularly with same departure and destination, times and on same day(s etc).  Please encourage any bus users you know to do the same to provide a complete picture of bus service requirements of all residents who rely on bus services. 

Online completion is prefered as responses are entered directly into a database but you can also download a paper form for printing if you know someone who would prefer to complete that way.

Please contact the Parish Clerk with any questions | parishclerk@walsham-le-willows.org  |  01359 259 794 (if necessary leave details and the Clerk will get back to you)

We understand that SCC may be preparing their own survey more geared to how it bids for funding for the shaping of the longer term services.

Road closure location: C645 Ixworth Road, Walsham Le Willows (from Readings Lane to The Causeway)

Date/Time: 8 August 2024 (9.30am – 3.30pm)

Work type: Road repairs

Diversion route: Walsham Road, A143, Summer Road and vice versa.

Road work updates will be available via Suffolk Highways on Twitter and on One.Network.

To prepare for the Open Gardens Weekend event, the Parish Council are looking for volunteers old and new, to take part in the Summer Litter Pick between 10th – 16th AUGUST.

This is now organised over a full week to allow volunteers more flexibility to fit it this in with their own schedules and still be covered by the Parish Council’s insurers.

Two councillors will hand out equipment as needed and answer any questions on Saturday 10^th at the Memorial Hall between 09:30 and 11:00.

Please contact the Parish Clerk, parishclerk@walsham-le-willows.org  | 01359 259 794, to register if you can take part again or would like to take part for the first time.

Insurance cover only applies to those who have registered and confirmed they have read the guidelines and risk assessment which will be sent out after expressions of interest have been received.

Likely Impacts on Walsham le Willows from 8th July to end November 2024 – Updates will be posted as received

• The circular route including Badwell Ash to Four Ashes and then the Causeway and the St Mary’s Church crossroads has been identified as likely to experience an increase in traffic movements with traffic then going out through West Street although it ti thought tjhis will not be very great, the uplift he uplift coming mainly from local villagers re-routing to avoid the road closure – Stanton people going to Ipswich etc.  
• Signage will be placed indicating narrow road and 20mph either side of the bridge at the bottom of the Causeway and hopefully the double bends at West Street.
• The route from the A143 to the Church down Summer Road has been noted as a feeder into the “circular run”. Highways are considering signage warning against using this route.

• Pending confirmation from UK Power Networks the project appears to be on schedule to start on the 8th of July and Suffolk Highways have booked the A1088 road closure through until the end of November 2024.
• Main risk to the start date appears to be an undertaking from UK Power Networks that they can isolate / reroute the power lines by the given start date.
• If delayed the project would have to be delayed a year, as early project work has to be completed in the stream bed before water levels go back up.
• Suffolk Highways are in close liaison with the National Highways team working on the current A14 works given the undertaking that the A1088 works will only after A14 works have been completed. There may be some overlap.

Relevant notes from the 24th May meeting of the liason group attended by Parish Councillor Nick Mecrow for Walsham le Willows.

• Start date to be circulated as soon as confirmed.
• Signage approaching and in Walsham le Willows to be reviewed
• Stanton area hauliers advised they would be avoiding minor roads during A1088 work
• District councillors to be included in communications.  Walsham le Willows has requested that our County Councillor is also included.

Suffolk County Council are planning to carry out road resurfacing along Grove Park, Walsham le Willows.

The works are programmed to take place between 8am and 4.30pm from 4 to 6 July 2024.

Whilst the works are underway, a temporary closure will be in place to ensure the safety of our operatives and members of the public. Access will be managed as soon as it is safe to do so. ‘No parking’ cones will also be placed on-site prior to the work commencing.

Any major changes to proposed work dates will be publicised using the information signs on site and our social media channels.

The latest updates on all our works can be found on the www.one.network website. There may be times that essential emergency works are required to take place on the highway network without advanced notice – you can follow Suffolk Highways on Twitter for the latest emergency roadwork updates.

Please use any contacts within your division or parish to circulate this notification.

If you have any queries on the above, please contact us on 0345 606 6171.

Suffolk Highways
www.suffolk.gov.uk/highways

The business (Paradoilia Group) is made up of 5 friends. They have various business interests ‘at different stages of development’. Some of the business partners work as mortgage advisors and one also provides accountancy and stocktaking services to the pub trade.

The business has another pub which has been leased and run for 20 years with a resident manager. And we were advised that completion on another pub in Kings Lynn was imminent.

Paradoilia Group intends to lease out the Six Bells to tenant manager. Plan still have to be drawn up but the intention is to install a commercial kitchen and refurbish –including a re-thatch etc.  An interim manager would be put in place whilst the development plans are drawn up.

The ‘Asset of Community Value’ status is there to allow anyone, community groups included, to mount a bid, with 6 months to do so if the initial expression of interest is submitted to MSDC by 14^th June.

The Parish Council has publicised the position widely and to date has not heard anything to suggest there is a serious  ‘community group’ bid in the offing although there was a contact from someone who may have been interested in purchasing if a community group came forward with a satisfactory formed plan.

• Nationwide, wildlife species have declined by 19% since 1970 (State of Nature report)
• One in six species in Great Britian are at risk of extinction (State of Nature report)
• Up to 70% of Suffolk’s 22,000 ponds are neglected or abandoned (Suffolk Wildlife Trust)
• Norfolk and Suffolk have over three times less ancient woodland than the national average (Natural Capital Evidence Compendium for Norfolk and Suffolk)

To address this decline and to help nature recover, government has introduced legally-binding commitments. There are 48 of these Local Nature Recovery Strategies across the country, led in Suffolk by Suffolk County Council.

Together, they will form a national ‘nature network’, proposing actions such as the creation of wetlands, restoration of peatlands, planting of trees and hedgerows, and more sustainable management of existing woodlands and other habitats like grasslands

Members of the public are invited to complete a survey to gather their thoughts on nature recovery across the county, whilst landowners and managers, including local councils, are also encouraged to submit practical, achievable proposals to support nature conservation.

All responses will be used to help build a picture across Suffolk to help protect and enhance our environment.

A request has been submitted to Mid SuffolK District Council for an alcohol licence for the ‘Sale and Supply of Alcohol for consumption OFF the Premises’, at Linton House on The Street.

If you wish to submit a representation the notice below advises how to do so and this has to be received no later than 13th June 2024.

Representations must be made in writing for the attention of the Licensing Team, Mid Suffolk District Council (as the Licensing Authority) at Endeavour House, 8 Russell Road, Ipswich IP1 2BX, or by e-mail to licensingteam@baberghmidsuffolk.gov.uk

Find the detail sof the application here: https://www.midsuffolk.gov.uk/current-licensing-applications

Application | Plan | Location | Guidance on how to comment

The owner (Admiral Taverns) of The Six Bells Public House in Walsham le Willows has given notice that they intend to dispose of the property. 

Because the Six Bells has been registered as an Asset of Community Value, a six week ‘interim moratorium’ has now been triggered during which it cannot be sold. This allows eligible community groups to submit an expression of interest to bid. 

The ‘interim moratorium’ will end on 14 June 2024 unless Mid Suffolk District Council receives a valid expression of interest during the period, which would trigger the ‘full moratorium’ period of six months delaying the disposal of the asset before 3 November 2024.

If you are a local community group having an interest this process is designed to give you time to mount a bid. For more information please contact Simon Lanning Communities Officer at MSDC | 01449 724628 | 07729 108592

More information on assets of community value

More detailed information on the process

Digital Voice BT is being introduced because the analogue network that most home phones work on today is no longer fit for purpose and can’t keep up with the demands of modern life. That outdated network will be switched off for all phone providers by 2025.

If you are reliant on your landline contact your telephone provider now.

BT are running roadshows throughout Suffolk, see below for dates and venues. No booking required, just turn up to speak to a representative to find out more.

Find out more and have your say

Deadline for responses 26th May 2024

Over the period 2021/22 to 2023/24 the Parish Council has received Neighbourhood CIL grants from MSDC totalling £84,507.41. 

CIL is generated by a levy on the developers of new housing to fund improvements to the infrastructure alongside the increased housing.  Neighbourhood CIL is paid to parish councils at a rate of 15% of the available total collected from developers where there is no adopted Neighbourhood Plan.  As we now have and adopted Neighbourhood Plan any future development will generate grants at a rate of 25% for the Parish Council. 

CIL BIDS granted and paid by the Parish Council	Amount (net of VAT recoverable)
Streetlighting phase iii	5,680.31
Churchyard Wall Major Repairs	7,478.00
Allotment Shed Repairs	1,000.00
Village Sign Replace & Repair	247.50
Memorial Hall Stage	5,628.25
Wild Wood Platinum, Jubilee Bench (materials)	179.81
Professional Kitchen equipment Memorial Hall	2,500.00
Play Area Development	30,000.00
Surfacing of allotments track	1,540.25
Streetlighting phase iv	7,979.53
Container for gym equipment at Sports Club	8,000.00
Priory Room	7,500.00
Memorial Hall Solar Project	2,267.00
SUBTOTAL	80,000.65
CIL BIDS granted but still to be paid
Bowls Club electrical work	2,258.00
PCC Path Lighting	2,248.76
TOTAL	84,507.41

700 flowers have yet to be tied on with 130m of perimeter wall to complete. The group are planning some summer “Pimm’s and tying on” garden parties for which anyone can volunteer, even if not skilled in knit or crochet.

A second coffee, flower making morning at the Blue Boar was very successful and well attended. Beginners were given a crochet tutorial. It was very relaxed, friendly and a good time was had by all.

Dates for your Diary

05.03.24  10.30-12.30 Walsham Sports Club Flower Power Project meet up with hooks and needles.

Organiser | catemhadley@gmail.com | 07966 550753    

EATMT are a charity funded by Suffolk County Council’s Locality Budget. Ever wondered about what went on in East Anglia before the delights of digital screen entertainment? The Trust collect, archive and perform music, song, dance, and stories which have been passed down through generations.

The group held a very successful afternoon of entertainment in Walsham le Willows Memorial Hall last year and are back again for 2024 on March 24th with entertainment which will include Suffolk and Norfolk step dancers, tales told in dialect, and music and songs from a variety of musicians. Jig dolls will be on display too and anyone will be able to have a go at making them dance.

An informal occasion to sit back and enjoy the entertainment but if you have a story to tell or wish to sing or play please see the compere on entry to be included.

Doors will open at 13:30, get a cuppa and a piece of cake, take a seat for the start at 14:00 through until 16:00. Entry is free, although any donations will be gratefully accepted.

There will be a raffle and a small charge for teas, coffees and cakes.

Contact Jan Robinson on 07539 651 175 or visit the EATMT website

Monday 11th March 2024
from 6.30 pm until 8.30pm
in the Memorial Hall

Informal ‘Question Time’ format following last year’s successful event.
Everyone welcome.

Make your questions, ideas and views known to Parish, District and County Councillors as well as other members of your community.

Hear about the work of the Parish Council & progress on 2023/24 priorities.

Inform the deliberations of Parish Councillors on priorities for 2024/25.

Submit questions in advance to the Parish Clerk

Subscribe to email communications about the Annual Question Time Meeting. Unsubscribe at any time.

Stowmarket and District Beekeepers Association are asking for help to combat the invasive Asian Hornet (Vespa velutina), also known as the Yellow-legged Hornet. It is a voracious predator and will eat nectar, wasps, bees, flies, butterflies, spiders, caterpillars, fallen fruit and carrion. They are such efficient hunters that they will completely suppress all insects within 1km of their nest. Sadly, honeybees are a favourite prey and they will devastate an apiary if they find one. Not surprisingly beekeepers are keen to repel these invaders but you can do your bit to help our native insects which are at risk.

If they can be identified now, they can be eliminated to prevent them gaining a foothold.

• Asian Hornet Watch app for iPhone (external link)
• Asian Hornet Watch app for android (external link)
• Online recording form (external link)
• Report by email: alertnonnative@ceh.ac.uk

Downloads

Poster
Info leaflet