Jenny Antill's blog

Some thoughts on Police Commissioners

2012-02-15T12:59:00.002Z

I was interested to hear the debate on the Today programme this morning about the proposed new police commissioners. In the red corner was John Prescott, who is aiming to fill the post in Humberside. In the blue was an ex-police chief, who clearly did not think much of the idea. The police, he claimed, were accountable enough already and change, particularly if it involved political intervention, was unnecessary.

Coincidentally, I recently spoke to a person who is contemplating seeking a nomination for the Suffolk Police Commissioner Post. He was interested in my opinion due to the work I have been doing with the Babergh Community Safety Partnership.

As we spoke about the potential for the role, I realised that I do believe the Police Commissioner idea is a good one. People that I meet seem to feel that the police as an organisation are not particularly ‘citizen friendly’ (although this attitude often changes when they meet individual officers or PCSO’s). The culture of the police as a uniformed organisation with a strict and somewhat inflexible hierarchy is sometimes hard to mould to the requirements of a community that has raised expectations that its views will be listened to.

My personal relationships with the police in Sudbury have not suffered from too much rigidity, and, by and large, my suggestions and comments have been met with pragmatism. However, I have been in something of a special position, and have found the Sudbury team very user friendly on the whole. However, even in these benign circumstances, there have been times that I have felt that there is something of a gulf between the police’s view of the world and everyone else’s.

If the Police Commissioner can become the people’s voice in this sphere this can really only be a good thing. He will hold the purse strings, and be able to decide where the balance between prevention of crime and response after the event should lie.

I am convinced that many of the projects undertaken by Community Safety Partnerships, often using very limited resources, do make a real difference with regard to the prevention of crime. I am also convinced of the value of the community engagement events supported by the Safer Neighbourhood Teams. I just hope that whoever becomes the Police Commissioner in Suffolk understands the importance of these initiatives and gives them appropriate emphasis. If he does, I believe that he will be a genuine representative of the people.

Recording the 'sport of kings',

2012-02-12T11:39:00.001Z

Yesterday at Gainsborough’s House I spent some time sorting out the final arrangements for a series of six Spring Talks that start on Tuesday February 28 at 11 a.m. in the Hills Room.

The first will be by Chris Garibaldi who is the Director of the National Horseracing Museum in Newmarket. Chris has spoken at the museum before and I know that he is a very entertaining speaker.

In addition to discussing how the Horseracing Museum’s collection illustrates the ‘sport of kings’, his talk will focus on the history and proposed redevelopment of Charles II’s Palace House to which the Museum is scheduled to move in the next few years.

Tickets are £6, and also cover entrance to the Museum, which is a good bargain. They are available at Reception or by calling 01787 372958

Park with confidence!

2012-02-11T10:29:00.001Z

I am sure many of you saw the front page of the Suffolk Free Press this week.

Having read the article you may be concerned that you could receive a ticket for parking 'untidily' over white lines, even if you cannot see them due to the snow.

Please rest assured that this is not the case. No tickets will be, or have been, issued under these circumstances. In normal weather conditions the parking wardens take a photograph of your car so that if you do not believe them you can challenge their decision.

I do not wish to pre-empt any discussions that are currently taking place between the editors of the Free Press and Babergh's Communications Department about the front page article, but I expect clarification with regard to what actually happened to our resident in the North Street Car Park to be forthcoming in due course.

Come on you gritters!

2012-02-06T16:23:00.001Z

Although the snow in our driveway is so deep that we had to dig ourselves out yesterday, as can be seen from my photos, the lanes around Newmans Green are,astonishingly, completely clear! A kind farmer in his tractor apparently came round and did a fantastic job. This is definitely a first. Usually when the snow arrives we skate and skid along in the car until we reach the Acton-Sudbury Road in one direction or the Long Melford By-Pass in the other. Last year one of our neighbours ended up in the ditch.

It is clear that Suffolk County Council has done a very good job of clearing the roads this year. On Radio Suffolk this morning a motorist phoned in to say that there was a noticeable difference between the state of the roads in Suffolk compared with Norfolk! (Suffolk good, Norfolk bad.)

So come on you gritters, keep the pressure on.. Let's win this particular local derby!

On the way to Long Melford

Cold in Suffolk? Try Moscow.

2012-02-04T20:15:00.001Z

Thousands of Russians braved temperatures below -20 degrees today in Moscow to protest against unfair election practices and to suggest that Putin's time at the top is up.

The quality of slogan was particularly high this time. I reproduce three of the best below. Others, plus a commentary on the demonstrations can be seen here

Winter cold, Botox doesn't help (Putin is suspected of using botox)

Changing one letter alters the word 'elections' to 'you thief'

No translation necessary!

Progress on Folly Road parking problems.

2012-01-31T18:29:00.001Z

For some years now the issue of parking at Great Waldingfield School when the children arrive and leave has been a worry for the residents of Folly Road and beyond. Concerns and fears have been exacerbated in recent months by the prospect of more traffic in the area being generated by the new Cromwell Fields development. Added to this is the planned expansion of the school, which has really become a victim of its own success in recent years.

A meeting was called yesterday by Colin Spence, Suffolk County Councillor, in co-operation with the Parish Council. I was unable to be there and sent apologies, but I understand that all parties, including representatives from the School, residents of Folly Road, and the County Council Highways Department approached the issues raised by local people constructively. It was accepted that there are no easy solutions to the congestion and safety problem, but everyone involved appeared willing to do their bit to try to improve matters.

I hope to be able to report some definite news on measures to be taken in due course.

Snowdrops in Thorpe Morieux

2012-01-29T08:37:00.001Z

On Saturday 11th February between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. there is to be a Snowdrop Festival at Thorpe Morieux church.

In addition to the opportunity to see the carpet of snowdrops and aconites, there will be stalls, home made cakes and hot drinks available. Entry is free. Funds raised from refreshments etc. will go to the church.

I can't think of a better way to anticipate the approach of spring.

Additionally the village is challenging local villages to form teams of six to join in a quiz on the evening o f25th February. Entry is £5 per person and includes supper. The aim is to raise funds for the 2012 Jubilee Games. For more details contact:Garry Russell on 01284 828958.

Thanks to David Hodge and his e vine for information about these events.

Should Sudbury commuters pay more to park?

2012-01-26T19:27:00.001Z

Commuters...don't they suffer enough?

The budget for 2012/13 was more or less settled today as councillors voted, 33 to 4, to endorse the recommendations on the paper.

There were no surprises, the measures having revolved round various committees for so long that they should really be very familiar by now.

The bottom line is: useful savings from the integration process; no short term car parking charges but long term charges increased from £1.50 to £2 per day; a 3.5% council tax increase; and no changes to community grants.

The 4 refuseniks were recording their opposition to the Council tax rise, even though the sum in question will amount to rather less than the price of a packet of fags per annum for 80 percent of those residents who pay the tax. I have already written about this issue in an earlier post.

In the course of discussion it became clear that there are those who believe that people who park in the long term car parks prior to 8.30 a.m. should pay more than those who park later. One councillor, who shall remain nameless, actually tried to move an amendment to this effect but was unable to find a seconder.

This measure is, of course, aimed at the commuters who take the train up to London. I suppose the reasoning goes that they must be better off than the local Sudbury workers and therefore can legitimately be stung for more money.

But are they really better off? Season ticket costs alone must make a pretty large hole in their bank balances, and it is probable that many work elsewhere not for higher salaries but because they cannot always find work close to home. It is a nonsense to assume that they are all ‘fat cats’. And what about their quality of life? Commuters have to get up at a horribly early hour and often return home very late. At this time of year they can never see Sudbury in daylight during the week. This isn’t really a lot of fun for them.

Personally I think that to discriminate against those of our residents who are commuters would be misguided and frankly mean minded. It could also be highly counterproductive: we want to encourage people to use our wonderful branch line, and to feel good about doing so.

Besides, I understand that the roads around Bures station are becoming pretty crowded these days, jammed with the cars of those unwilling to pay the current parking charges. Surely we don’t want to add to this nuisance?

Dance for a good cause!

2012-01-24T10:52:00.001Z

Sudbury's Fortnightly Tea Dancers are sponsoring a special Charity Tea Dance to raise funds for Sudbury CAB.

The event will be held at the Delphi Centre, Newton Road, Sudbury on Wednesday 22nd February between 2.00 p.m. and 4.14 p.m. Admission is £3, to include draw tickets and refreshments.

Tickets are available on the door.

Changes flagged up a year ago

2012-01-23T13:49:00.000Z

It seems that we were all told so long ago about the changes that we have forgotten about them!

The officer responsible for the lighting changes writes:

Town and Parish Councils were informed approximately a year ago, in writing, and directed to our web site for the FAQs and roll out schedule. This information has been repeated in local papers on a regular basis to the extent that it is no longer carried as a news article on a Town or Village basis as we roll out around the county. The information is also in libraries but again, it has been there for so long it has probably been forgotten.

Several town and parish councils have asked for text for their newsletters, which we are happy to provide.

Richard has also recently attended the Sudbury town Council meeting to tell them about part-night lighting.

I am making enquiries with regard to why Acton has been excluded from this exercise, and will update this post when I find out.

Lack of notice?

2012-01-23T13:03:00.003Z

Further to yesterday's post about Suffolk County Council turning off street lighting in some areas, a number of residents have expressed concern at the lack of notice that appears to have been given to Parish Councils and other elected representatives. Earlier notification would, of course, enabled us to publicise the matter in advance, on this site, in parish magazines etc.

Colin Spence is making enquiries about this and I will report what, if anything, he learns from the officers concerned.

It would also be interesting to know why Acton does not appear to be on the list!

The lamps are going out all over Suffolk

2012-01-22T08:15:00.004Z

The ( slightly misquoted) words of Sir Edward Grey above are appropriate this weekend. As part of a rolling programme, from Monday night, Suffolk County Council is to turn of many street lights in our area between the hours of midnight and 5.30 a.m. Most lights of under 6 metres in height will be affected.

The aim is to save money (at least £500,000 per annum), and also to ‘save carbon’. I don’t know about the latter aim, but anything that conserves the world’s resources and also improves our chances of better seeing the beauty of the night sky must be a good thing!

In Waldingfield Ward it is Chilton and Great Waldingfield that will be first on the list, with lights going off this Monday. Little Waldingfield is scheduled to follow in April. It seems that at present at least Acton is unaffected.

Whether or not, to complete Sir Edward's words, we shall 'see them lit again' depends on circumstances.

Further thought will be given to the appropriateness of turning off lights in the following cases:

Lights at major junctions/roundabouts.
In town centres with CCTV, high security businesses e.g. banks, areas of high night time pedestrian usage for example near nightclubs and train stations, outside community facilities or leisure centres.
Areas where street lights are needed to reduce road accidents.
Areas where there could be an increase in crime through reduced lighting, e.g. pubs and specific residential areas.
Remote alleys linking residential streets.
Near pedestrian crossings, footbridges, subways
In public car parks.
At bus stops.
At level crossings, speed humps and traffic lights.
Where there is sheltered housing for the elderly.

On a related matter, from my work with the Babergh Community Safety Partnership, I know that the police will be actively monitoring the situation to ensure that this measure does not result in additional crime. I suspect that the policy will be reviewed if this proves to be the case.

Further details are available here

Emergency Planning in the District

2012-01-20T12:32:00.005Z

Floods!

The year 2000 was notable for national emergencies in Britain. We experienced floods, the foot and mouth outbreak and also coordinated fuel protests causing petrol shortages and blocked motorways. As a result of this John Prescott, the Deputy Prime Minister at the time, decided that Local Authorities should be given some responsibility, alongside other agencies, for dealing with emergencies that happen in their areas. District Councils, along with County Councils, became ‘Category 1 Responders’, with duties to assess risks of incidents in advance, inform the public about civic protection and provide advice and assistance during and after the incident.

As a result Babergh and Mid Suffolk share their own Emergency Planning officer, and they also co-operate with other Districts and Suffolk County Council to deal with extreme events across Suffolk as a whole.

All councillors are offered training about their role in civil protection and yesterday I went to such a session at the Suffolk One in Ipswich. It was an interesting four hours and I learnt a good deal that I did not know before.

One interesting fact is that a very high proportion of households in Suffolk, over 80%, have chosen to receive flood alerts, a statistic that compares with an average of 45% in the country as a whole. Given the low lying and coastal nature of the county I suppose that this is not altogether surprising.

Another rather disturbing nugget is the fact that Radio Suffolk will generally alert the community to an emergency. However, at present it seems that the station's ‘every kick of every match’ policy means that this service is not available during football matches. So let’s hope nothing untoward occurs on a Saturday afternoon!!!

Business continuity, aka keeping our own show on the road, is another area for which we need to plan. When Melton Mowbray Borough Council’s offices caught fire, and subsequently almost burnt to the ground, early one May morning in 2008 good contingency planning meant that they had a call centre up and running the same day and all staff back to work within a week. I hope that Babergh would be able to do the same in similar circumstances.

Melton Mowbray council offices on fire, May 2008

If anyone would like information about planning for emergencies in their community they should call the Babergh and Mid Suffolk Joint Emergency Planning Unit on 01449 724848, or look at the website:http://www.getpreparednow.co.uk/

Every little bit helps?

2012-01-18T12:22:00.001Z

I have noticed recently that you have to be really careful in the supermarket when buying two for one offers.

This morning in Tescos Copella 75g bottles of juice were £1.45 or 2 for £3.00. This isn't the first time that I have noticed this sort of discrepancy. Of course it could have been a mistake, but it pays to be alert so as not to pay over the odds!

Rising stars in Long Melford

2012-01-15T18:21:00.002Z

An exciting exhibition of the work of seven young artists working all over Britain is currently showing at the Hunter Gallery in Long Melford. We went along to the private view on Friday evening and enjoyed what we saw.

The work on display is very varied in style. The only thing that the artists have in common is the fact that they are all still in education. All can safely be described as ‘up and coming’, displaying a good deal of talent and flair.

A wide range of different styles of painting are on display, from oils to photography, I was particularly taken by the work of Rebecca Merry, who works in egg tempera, and whose paintings at times directly reflect the Russian influences that are associated with this medium. Nick was impressed by the boldly executed paintings of 17 year old Georgia Vestey. The work of Georgina Chrisford was particularly accomplished in my view, and it is clear from the prices that she is already commanding that others think so too.

Most of the works on show are for sale (although a number are already spoken for!) The Gallery is aiming to raise money through the exhibition for St Nicholas Hospice in Bury St Edmunds.

Broadband blues?

2012-01-14T11:23:00.001Z

We are lucky in Newmans Green because we are relatively close to the Sudbury telephone exchange and therefore receive a reasonable broadband signal. I know that this is not the case across Waldingfield Ward as a whole however.

It is therefore encouraging to receive the communication below from the County Council, inviting those with internet access problems to make this known by completing a short survey.

The message, for which I am indebted to David, the Champion Silver Surfer of Cockfield, reads as follows:

‘You may have noticed in the media that the Suffolk Better Broadband Programme is gathering pace, and we hope to start work on improving services with Suffolk in Autumn this year. Before we start work, we have to go through a public procurement process to select a provider to develop the Suffolk network.

In order to make this contract as attractive as possible to bidders, as well as to provide evidence to use as leverage during negotiations, we are asking households to register their demand for broadband. This will make our case as strong as possible. Not only will this aid the procurement process, but it will also inform us of where the areas of particular need exist across Suffolk.

The survey only takes a few minutes to complete, and can be found at www.suffolk.gov.uk/broadband. If you could use your channels to promote this as much as possible, it would be fantastic. Ideally we want to get the message to all households in all parishes, that their input via this survey will be critical to improving broadband in Suffolk.

We have also produced a hard copy of this survey. The idea here is that any willing volunteers can distribute and collect responses, catering for those who do not have access to the online version. In addition to these we plan to distribute hard copies via libraries, and brief library staff on the online process, to make it as accessible as possible to all.

Responses are really needed in time to inform our planning, which means to end of March is when we will need to start reviewing responses.

A lot of background information to the programme, including a summary of our plan, monthly newsletters, and a FAQ page also appears on www.suffolk.gov.uk/broadband’

Shapps to the rescue!

2012-01-12T17:19:00.004Z

We are committed to ensuring that the Bonus remains a flexible, non-ringfenced fund, for local communities to spend as they see fit – from reinvesting it in housing or infrastructure, support local services or local facilities, or using the funds to keep council tax down. Local authorities are best placed to understand the barriers to growth in their areas, the needs of their local communities and lead a mature debate about the benefits that growth can bring.

Housing Minister Grant Shapps, December 2011.

The Housing Minister, quoted, and pictured, above, is talking about the New Homes Bonus that was recently introduced by the Government, to reward local authorities for building new homes and to encourage them to do so in the future. Babergh is due to receive something in the region of £500,000 over this year and next from this source.

Readers should have no doubt that the proposal to use this money to bridge some of the budget gap at Babergh very probably means that councillors will be able to avoid the introduction of short term car park charging in 2012/13.

While the controversy over this issue has raged, in recent months it has gradually dawned on councillors that, yes, we could use some of this money to avoid charges. In a dramatic development this morning an amendment was presented to Strategy Committee. This effectively overturned the recommendation in the paper before us, that short term car parking should be introduced. Any further shortfall will in part be made up by an increase in long term charges, and some other small adjustments.

Some have argued that although the minister hasn’t said so the Bonus is really meant to be spent on projects to encourage further economic growth and that to use it in this way is in some sense ‘frittering it away’. This is not what the minister says above. Further, I would argue that supporting our still vibrant town centres by preserving free short term parking, in a time of secular and cyclical decline for the retail trade, is an investment of sorts and a very timely one.

All this having been said, I think it is a real pity that so much of the council's energy at budget time each year is taken up by controversy over parking charges. By far the largest part of the savings for 2012/13 will be achieved by the integration of our services with Mid Suffolk District Council. This dramatic and fundamental change seems to have passed by virtually unnoticed, except of course by those who are directly, and often adversely, affected.

Let us hope that the proposal with regard to short term charging affords us some space to see whether a better long term solution can be found to the whole issue of traffic and parking in Sudbury and Hadleigh once and for all.

A rise in council tax?

2012-01-08T07:34:00.002Z

It goes against the grain to suggest an increase in Council Tax, particularly against a background where other councils, including MSDC, are likely to take Eric Pickles’s subsidy, and freeze council tax for their residents in 2012/13. Conservatives in theory should look wherever possible to keep taxes in check, it is what we do, and as a good Conservative I am no enthusiast for increasing taxes.

However, the Government, in part through lack of transparency with regard to its intentions going forward, have put councils in a difficult position. Babergh took their money last year, and froze council tax. The issue now is should we do so again?

For every year that we take the Government’s money, which this year and next equate to a 2.5% increase, we lose the benefit of uplift in our tax base. Future percentage changes in tax are thus made on the basis of the lower amount, so each year that we take Pickles’ shilling costs us money that is lost forever.

The Government has pointedly made no promises with regard to this money in future years but history tells us that it would be naive to assume that this means that they will allow us carte blanche with regard to the level of council tax increases in the years to come. As the General Election approaches in 2015, the Government will, as it has done in the past, be keen to be seen to be curbing council tax increases. Mandatory capping, which has been seen regularly ahead of elections in the past, is highly likely.

Thus is seems right that we increase council tax, and also the level of our tax base, while we can. The 3.5% increase, which is being proposed, is still below the rate of inflation. It is also, it has to be said, the most that we can do without triggering the possibility of a referendum in 2012/13 under the new Localities Act.

Babergh’s council tax is the second lowest in the county, and represents very good value for money. This will remain true even after the imposition of the proposed 3.5% rise. In financial terms per household we are not talking about a lot of money: the cost per household (Band D) will be less than £5 per year, or 9 pence per week.

It would however reduce our budget shortfall by around £45,000, and also strengthen our charging base in future.

The debate is ongoing. The budget will be discussed at the Strategy Committee on Thursday, and a special council meeting being called for later in the month. I am still weighing up all the pros and cons, but subject to some convincing evidence to the contrary, the case for a below inflation rise in Council Tax next year is hard to resist.

New top management team in pictures!

2012-01-04T17:49:00.006Z

Mugshots of the officers who will be forming the joint top management team at Babergh and Mid Suffolk are now available on the Babergh website:

click here

Seeing the officers lined up in this way makes one thing rather obvious: there is room for a few more women at the top. 2 women out of a total management team of 11 is a marginally lower percentage than the rather low number of women councillors at Babergh, (9 out of 43). Of course those recruiting could only consider those who applied for the positions, and the process was a restricted one, but nonetheless the imbalance is striking.

This aside however the officers are a handsome looking bunch I am sure you will agree!

Observant readers will notice that two of the people in top slots are currently labelled as 'acting'. This is due to the fact that, having looked internally, the councils have decided to recruit from outside to fill these positions and the process is still ongoing. Further announcements are expected in due course.

The Year Ahead Part Two (South Suffolk).

2012-01-02T11:20:00.003Z

On the whole there were few surprises at Babergh in 2011, and so most of my predictions turned out to be correct. It is, of course, a lot easier to look ahead at what will happen here in Suffolk than to try to forecast outcomes in the wider world!

As anticipated, in the District Elections that took place in May, Babergh Conservatives did indeed emerge as the largest Group, but, needing 5 extra seats, still do not have an overall majority . The Labour Party increased their group by two, largely at the expense of the Liberal Democrats, although we too lost a seat to them. The ‘bright new candidates’ identified last year did indeed do well, and we are happy to have welcomed five new faces to our ranks.

I did not try to predict the result of the public poll, held to decide whether or not Babergh should go for a full merger with Mid Suffolk, but as I suggested, significant steps forward have been made towards integrating our services under our new joint CEO, Charlie Adan.

Financial pressures continue, and discussions about the budget have dominated discussion in 2011, and indeed are expected to do so in 2012.

Following the change of Government in 2010, Babergh had to revise its new Development Framework, and a consultation was held on the new core strategy towards the end of the year.

So what does the year ahead promise for Babergh?

Firstly, the process of integration of our activities with Mid Suffolk District Council will continue. Some new faces will appear among the ranks of the officers, and some familiar ones will, sadly, disappear. The energy and commitment of all concerned will be rewarded and I think (and very much hope) that we will be surprised at the extent of productivity improvement, with commensurate savings, that we see.

Secondly, there will be no relief from the constant need to review costs and charges. I expect the debate with regard to the ‘right way’ to bridge the budget shortfall to continue and to become more intense as options available to councillors become clearer. Some uncertainties with regard to changes in funding from Central Government should be resolved; I suspect that we can anticipate a potential boost to funds from both the right to keep rates from newly created businesses, and also from higher fees for planning applications. Unfortunately these will not actually amount to much in the current economic environment.

Of most interest to residents are, firstly, whether we decide to continue to allow short term car parking in Hadleigh and Sudbury to remain ‘free’ (at the point of use!), and secondly whether we decide to take money from the Government for a second year and freeze the level of council tax. Making a prediction on either of these points is very difficult, but if I absolutely have to do so, I would expect that the status quo will prevail (no charging for short term car parking, and no increase in Council Tax). There is a high level of uncertainty surrounding these issues however, and my guesses above should not be taken as my own opinion on the subjects!

I hope to see the officers and councillors engaging more with their local communities to try to find ways of saving money through partnership. A good deal of lip service has been paid to this process in 2011, but precious little progress has been made, as witnessed articles in the Free Press with regard to Car Parks and Loos! Now that the new council has settled in , some leadership from Members is needed here!

Thirdly, responses to the Babergh Development Framework’s Core Strategy will be considered, revised as necessary, and come to a vote. I fear that the document’s unbalanced ‘job lead’ bias will remain in place, as councillors are influenced by the current economic downturn and Central Government dictats with regard to economic growth at any price. It seems that prosperity has to come before community and the environment.

Against this background, I believe that we shall begin to see some poor planning decisions in the District, which will be regretted for many years to come, undermine the area’s attractions, and ultimately do little to resolve the UK’s, or the District’s economic difficulties.

Urban sprawl outside Burton on Trent

The knee jerk reaction to problems is the greatest weakness of local democracy.

The Year Ahead. Part One (The World)

2012-01-01T12:09:00.003Z

Looking back at my predictions for 2011 I have to say that, in contrast with the previous year, I did pretty well. To see last year's forecasts click on: http://jennyantillsblog.blogspot.com/2011/01/year-ahead.html

It is always with trepidation that I embark on this exercise, but as I said last year, old habits die hard, so here we go!

Like almost everyone else, I find it hard to be very positive about the economic outlook for 2012. I expect at least one or two of the PIIGS to leave the Eurozone, which will cause some severe problems for much of the European, and also some of the British, banking industry. The associated turmoil will make economic growth hard to achieve in the year to come. The Euro will however survive, although it will be used by fewer countries this time next year.

These uncertainties will probably mean that the UK stock market, which, under the circumstances, has done well this year, will undergo some sharp setbacks. I think that these declines will be short lived however due to the fact that for a number of technical reasons shares, particularly of a defensive nature, offer a relatively safe haven when compared to other asset classes.

Against this background, the only practical advice I can give is this: If going to Southern Europe take some dollars with you and make sure that your arrangements to come home are watertight. I am no longer in a position to give advice on the stock market!

There are four high profile political elections coming up this year. In my opinion Boris and Vladimir Putin will win their bids for re-election and Obama and Sarkozy will lose. Putin’s successful bid to become Russian President once again will be due to continued electoral abuse and the nature of the government’s control of the media*. I expect the regime’s relative tolerance of opposition parties will be short lived and that trouble lies ahead.

In the UK I believe that the coalition will hold together for another year and that their popularity will hold up surprisingly well.

The year ahead will not be an easy one, but the spirit of the nation should be massively improved by the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. I am not so sure about the Olympics...as others have pointed out, for those only marginally interested in the events, the inconveniences involved may well outweigh the pleasures.

Let’s hope in any event that some of the visitors to London in 2012 find their way up to Suffolk and spend some money here!

*This reminds me of a nice Russian joke courtesy of the Moscow Times:

Journalist, to head of large psychiatric hospital: So all your residents voted for One Russia? (Putin’s Party)

Doctor: No, not all. One voted for Nicholas I, and another for Nicholas II

Don't miss the train to London.

2011-12-29T16:29:00.002Z

A warning for those who go up to London on the first ‘off peak’ train of the day: the timetable has changed!

I was alerted to this fact by a reader of the blog who missed his train last week as a result. He was rescued by the kindness of a fellow traveller who decided to drive to London and gave him a lift as far as Stanstead.

The train that used to leave Sudbury at around 09.00 has been moved forward to 08.46. This might be regarded as good news but the time taken by the re-scheduled train is a very long 1 hour and 28 minutes. A long wait at Marks Tey, combined with a painfully slow stopping train from there to London, seems to be the reason for this. Thus one actually arrives in London no earlier than before but has to get up earlier. I expect that the cost is going up too.

Those who can arrive in London a little later would be better to wait for the 09.33, a reinstated service which is much to be welcomed. This train only takes 1 hour and 11 minutes, a good 17 minutes faster than the 08.46.

I have not looked at the whole timetable, but I expect that there are other adjustments. People travelling to and from London would be well advised to look on the internet before leaving for the station.

Scenes from the Christmas Eve demonstrations in Moscow

2011-12-26T15:49:00.008Z

To view some heartwarming, funny and rather chilly looking scenes from Saturday's pro democracy demo click on this link.

I know that it looks as though it is in Russian, but there is some English translation along the way, and the pictures in any event speak for themselves.

The link comes courtesy of the Moscow Times, which is a useful source for all things Russian and which publishes in both Russian and English.

One of the most interesting things about these demonstrations is the variety and humour of the placards carried by the participants who seem to be of all ages and from many different social backgrounds.

2011-12-21T12:09:00.000Z

I would like to wish all readers of the blog a very Happy Christmas and a prosperous and healthy 2012.

The photos come from our visit to Florence in February 2011.

Suggestions for days out in 2012

2011-12-17T20:18:00.006Z

Norwich Castle Museum

We have all been rallying round at Gainsborough’s House since the departure of the Director earlier this year.

I have been helping to organise the lecture series for Spring 2012 and, so far, I am very pleased with the way the project has worked out.

The talks, Treasures and Secrets of East Anglia, will be held on selected Tuesday mornings between the end of February and early May. A ticket (£6 per talk) will enable you to hear the talk and also have free entry to the House and any exhibition that might be showing.

The series was inspired by the notion that 'hard times' may discourage many of us from travelling too far afield next year. Perhaps the time has come to discover, or to rediscover, the many wonderful places worth seeing within an hour and a half’s drive of Sudbury.

Representatives from six outstanding galleries and museums in East Anglia have been invited to come to Gainsborough’s House to explain why their institution is worth a visit. The attractions in question are The National Horseracing Museum, Norwich Castle, Colchester Castle, The Fry Art Gallery, Saffron Walden, the Fitzwilliam Museum and Melford Hall (plus some other less visited National Trust Properties.)

In addition to discussing the highlights and history of each venue, speakers will share some lesser known facts and secrets. Many of the museums on the list are currently undergoing change and development and we also anticipate some comment on special exhibitions and attractions planned in 2012.

We hope that this programme will be of interest, not only to Gainsborough House Friends, volunteers and regulars, but also a wider local audience. Full details and tickets will be available after Christmas from Gainsborough’s House.

From the National Horseracing Museum Collection.

Hard choices

2011-12-13T23:21:00.003Z

There are only so many ways to fund a budget deficit of £350,000, and it is a matter of regret that the lady and gentleman of the press present at today’s Overview and Scrutiny Joint Meeting on the Budget at Babergh only waited to hear the deliberations on two out of the five options on offer.

Once the issue of car parking was firmly kicked into touch, and Members had expressed the opinion that we should refuse the Government’s zero council tax inducement and increase council tax by 3.5% (preserving a higher tax base and raking in an additional £90,000 or so), Members took a well deserved coffee break.

Of course today’s Committee was not actually making decisions on the budget. It was forming its recommendations to the Strategy Committee, who will look at everything once again before the measures go to full Council for a final decision in February. Nonetheless it would be foolish to ignore their deliberations.

After the break there were no representatives of the press to be seen; a pity since they missed quite a lot.

Babergh can save money by making some changes/adjustments to services. This adds up to around £140,000. Most measures are relatively uncontroversial, and the area that seems to be causing the most angst just now is the closure of various Public Conveniences around the District. Officers noted that the time and energy expended on this matter is probably disproportionate to the £30,000 or so of anticipated savings, so expect a resolution soon.

Then the Committee came to Community Grants. An impassioned, and to my mind sound, appeal from Mark Newman, Member for Cornard South, urged Members to refrain from meddling with the status quo here, but this was not to be. Officers were sent away to look for savings of £35,000 to £40,000 from this area.

I am maintaining an open mind on the budget options until I have heard all the arguments. However, it does seem to me that, given the choice, residents of Babergh might be prepared to stump up a pound or so a week for parking their cars in preference to seeing some of these worthwhile organisations go to the wall.

And then we came to the potential ‘Get out of Gaol Free Card’: funds amounting this year to close to £400,000, given to us for a limited period by the Government as a reward for building houses in recent years. The Housing Minister, Grant Schapps, has made it clear that it is acceptable for Councils to spend this money on anything they like: keeping council tax down, investing to save, and even, YES! reducing, and, by extrapolation, not imposing car park charges.

Whether or not these funds should be used to plug the gap in the budget is an interesting one. It is too complex to expand upon the issue here but it could well be the subject of a future post. Clearly all Members at today’s meeting felt that at least a proportion of the deficit should be absorbed in this way.

All in all however today’s meeting was a fascinating one in many ways, and it remains to be seen how many of the Committee’s recommendations finally shape the Budget that will be approved early in 2012.

Further details about some of the issues referred to above can be found if you look at today’s Committee Papers on the Babergh website:

http://www.babergh.gov.uk/Babergh/Home/Council+and+Democracy/Council+and+Committee+Papers/Overview+and+Scrutiny+-+Community+Services/13+December+2011+-+Agenda.htm

Russian revival

2011-12-10T12:37:00.001Z

Just off North Street!

There have been two reasons this week for me to wrap a cold towel round my head and try to brush up some of my fast fading Russian language skills.

First of all there has been the excitement following last week’s Duma elections. Although demonstrations have been confined largely to Moscow, the message from the much abused Russian ‘little people’ to President Putin is that you can’t fool all of the people all of the time. Of course it is the case that encouragement has been given by pro-democracy demonstrations in the Arab world. However the current increase in political activism in Russia should not simply be seen as a copycat response. Russians through history have, on the whole, been a docile bunch, rather preferring their leaders to be of the dictatorial, strong handed type. It takes quite a lot to get them out on the streets. However it has become clear that the level of corruption, both political and economic, has reached such unprecedented levels that the conviction is growing that there can be no sort of future for the country while it persists.

It is a startling fact that capital flight from Russia during 2011 was recently estimated at $80bn.

Coverage in the UK of the situation is understandably limited. As the news has unfolded it has been great fun reading the Russian websites, although the arrest and imprisonment last week of one of the principal bloggers has shut down one useful source of information. Unlike the broadcast media however the newspapers have at present at least a little more flexibility. Most useful in fact has been the old communist rag ‘Pravda’, which, indeed these days appears to be reporting the truth implicit in its title.

The other reason for blowing the dust off the Russian dictionary can be found much closer to home. On my way to W H Smith the other evening I was shocked to see the words ‘magazin’ written in Cyrillic script on a shop just off North Street. Magazin in Russian means shop (a word of course imported from French in the eighteenth century). On investigating further I find that another shop selling delicious Eastern European products has opened in Sudbury. What is more the proprietor, Valya, comes from Lithuania where a good proportion of the population is Russian speaking.

Delicious and different products from Eastern Europe at a shop near you!

We were able to have a very nice conversation as I bought some delicious Polish sausage, some Russian preserved vegetables, and also some salmon roe from Siberia. It is lucky that one of the first things you learn when starting a new language is how to go shopping. Those words at least appear to have stuck!

Babergh officers keep their cool during international panic.

2011-12-06T18:03:00.000Z

I’m sure that you can remember that in June last year local seed producer Thompson and Morgan was blamed by a French politician for the supply to the French market of sprouting seeds carrying the e coli bacteria. In the end the company was found to be in no way to blame, the contaminated seeds having actually been produced in Egypt. Sadly, despite this, related bad publicity cost the Ipswich firm a good deal of money in lost sales.

The incident, which received wide press coverage, developed into an international panic as some 40 people in France and Germany died, and many others were hospitalised.

What has not been revealed until now was Babergh’s environmental officers’ key role in leading the investigation behind the scenes. Yesterday, I received a fascinating briefing note from Malcolm Firth, Head of Natural and Built Environment, telling the whole story.

The ins and outs of the tale are too detailed to repeat here, but clearly Babergh Food and Safety officers played a key role in the investigation that followed the outbreak of e coli, and put in significant resources to identify food supply chains and to liaise with the various government agencies involved. This work has received considerable praise from the Food Standards Agency, and Thompson and Morgan has also commended the Babergh officers involved.

The full facts are only emerging now. At the time Babergh did not want to attract media attention which could have compromised the investigation and also been time consuming and distracting at a time when they were more than fully occupied.

The adverse publicity suffered by Thompson and Morgan was very unfortunate, and it is important to know not only that the investigation was greatly assisted by the company’s excellent record keeping, but also that no seed tested from the company was at the end of the day found to be contaminated.

Some good news on buses, for once!

2011-12-05T19:07:00.003Z

Go Start, in partnership with the not for profit transport operator Go Ride CIC, has just proved that Bus Services can be re-instated!

A two mini bus hourly service between Colchester, Great Cornard, Sudbury, Long Melford, Lavenham and Bury St Edmunds operated along the 753 weekday bus route on 4 December and will do so again on 11 December and 18 December.

Some 31 passengers took advantage of the service which is an excellent start and proves that demand certainly exists.

The buses serve regular bus stops, accept concessionary passes and charge regular fares. I suspect that this meant that there was a certain amount of negotiation behind the scenes in order to overcome the inherent discrimination against community bus services that exist in the labyrinthine world of public transport provision.

For full details of the route etc. you need to go to www.goridebus.co.uk.

While you are on the site it is worth taking a look at what this innovative not for profit organisation is all about. In common with Go Start, their aim is to support the 25% of households without access to a car, and also to reduce carbon emissions. Not bad aspirations!

Help for victims of domestic violence.

2011-12-03T18:06:00.002Z

Yesterday morning I dropped into St Peter’s Church to attend an event marking the White Ribbon Campaign which runs from November 25 to December 10 every year. It was being run by a local organisation, Compassion, which addresses domestic abuse in Babergh and which is supported by the Babergh Community Safety Partnership of which the District Council is a member.

I was lucky to arrive early and so was able to photograph the wonderful cup cakes, complete with white ribbons, which had been baked specially to mark the event. My cake was delicious and I expect that the display did not remain intact for very long.

The White Ribbon Campaign was started in 1990 in Canada out of respect for 14 women who were brutally murdered at the University of Montreal. The founders at the time called on everyone ‘to neither commit, condone, nor stay silent about violence’. Since that time the movement has grown internationally and is linked to 16 days of action to focus on raising awareness of domestic violence and abuse. The campaign finishes on 10 December, which is the International Day of Human Rights.

The problem with domestic violence is of course that it is ‘domestic’. It often remains hidden and people (not just women!) can suffer in silence for years. It takes many forms and has a number of causes, but it is vitally important to expose and combat it, regardless of its level of intensity. I first came across cases of abuse when I worked for a family law solicitor in my holidays as a law student, and I came then to understand how damaging and corrosive it is to victims’ lives and confidence.

Coincidentally, in today’s Times there is an article on a report about so called ‘honour attacks’, which are just one aspect of the problem. These crimes, it appears, have grown exponentially in number in recent years. In Suffolk alone in 2010 there have been 118 reported incidents which seems incredibly high to me. According to the 12 police forces providing statistics to the report, such attacks appear to have grown in number by almost 50% year on year. There may be some comfort to be derived from the increase. Since these were ‘reported’ incidents, the willingness of victims to come forward may well have increased.

It is hoped that events such as the one yesterday in St Peter’s will encourage victims of all forms of domestic violence in the Babergh area to seek help.

Compassion can be reached by contacting Cathy Press on 07966 592632 or e mailing cathy@compassion.org . The organisation runs programmes to help any woman who is affected by the impact of an abusive relationship. These are free and all enquiries are treated in strict confidence.

A special exhibition in Cambridge

2011-12-01T18:53:00.001Z


The Lacemaker, 1670, Johannes Vermeer

I am sure that some people will be going to Cambridge to do some Christmas shopping this December. The shops have improved so much there over the years, and the market always has some interesting things for sale.

We have found a very good, and relatively inexpensive, tapas bar just off the main square, and despite the fact that it is subterranean, and therefore a little dark and atmospheric for lunch time, we enjoyed our food there recently and found the service friendly and good.

If you do make the trip try to find time to visit the Fitzwilliam Museum to see the exhibition of Dutch interiors that is running until 15th January. Although all the paintings are interesting, the stars of the show are three paintings by Vermeer. one from the Louvre, pictured above and another on loan from The Queen.

It is unusual to see so many Vermeers in one room at the same time. An artist who painted pictures of extraordinary stillness and atmosphere, he only produced about 30 works and they are usually to be found widely scattered in different galleries across the world.

One example of his work, The Concert, used to be on display at the Isabella Steward Gardner Museum in Boston. Sadly it was stolen in 1990, and the Museum was so upset at the loss that it has never put anything up in its place. It is thought to be the most valuable un-recovered picture in the world with an estimated value of $200m.

The Concert c. 1664, Johannes Vermeer

Don't leave valuable items in your car!

2011-11-30T17:59:00.000Z

Do be careful and don't leave things on view in your car! It is a great temptation to thieves as can be seen from the message below from the police:

Between 6pm Tuesday 29th and 7.30am Wednesday 30th November on the High Street, Acton offenders have smashed the rear window on a silver Volkswagen van parked on a driveway. Three power drills, Bosch jigsaw and three extension leads were taken from within.

Also

Between 11pm Tuesday 29th and 7am Wednesday 30th November on Old Post Office Row, Acton offenders have smashed windows on a grey Ford car parked on a driveway. A Tom Tom satellite navigation system and a Samsung laptop computer were taken from within.

Were you in the area at the time, did you see anything suspicious? Do you know the name of the offender or offenders? If you have any information please contact Suffolk Police on 101 quoting reference SU/11/2668 and SU/11/2667.

Anti social behaviour? What is Babergh doing?

2011-11-30T17:30:00.003Z

It seems that few people know that District councils have statutory responsibility for community safety. Unlike dustbin emptying and planning a lot of the work done in this area goes on quietly behind the scenes, and is moreover, done on something of a shoestring.

Having chaired the West Babergh Safer Neighbourhood meetings for some time, after the elections in May, I became the Chairman of the Babergh Community Safety Partnership. This has been a mixed experience. Being honest, sitting in meetings reading reports and looking at ‘incident statistics’, I have found it difficult to get to grips with what the relevant officers actually do on the ground.

Accordingly over the next few weeks I have decided to spend a little time meeting the (rather few) officers who are working in the area throughout the District. This morning I started my investigations with a trip to Sudbury Police Station to talk to Babergh’s Anti-Social Behaviour Network Officer, Sally Watson.

Sally’s job specification is very broad. Working from the Police Station, she has a high level of autonomy with regard to how she chooses to tackle anti social behaviour reduction in the District. With other agencies, such as the police, housing, and social services, she works with problem families, and also with ‘problem places’ (remember the boy racers around Kentucky Fried Chicken a few years ago?) She also works in and around schools, the main aim being to nip bad behaviour in the bud through education and communication; (What would you think if someone treated your gran like that?). A success story is the progress made in discouraging underage drinking. A very striking video has been produced which shows young people at risk the dangers of alcohol abuse, seen through the eyes of three local young people whose lives were almost ruined by the demon drink.

Reading some articles on the subject on the internet I have discovered that many anti social behaviour practitioners are criticised for being reactive rather than proactive when addressing the problem. I do not think that this is a criticism that can be levelled at Babergh!

Sally has won, and been nominated for, a number of awards for her work and I had a very interesting meeting with her. I asked her if her life was a bit like painting the Forth Bridge; she might sort one group of young people out, but they would soon be replaced by the next generation. There seems to be an element of truth in this, but the effective, work done with older troublemakers does have a knock on effect on their younger imitators it seems.

Babergh officers will strike on Wednesday.

2011-11-27T15:45:00.002Z

It is very likely that some Babergh officers will participate in the national strike due to be held on Wednesday 30^th November.

Over its 30 years plus history Babergh has enjoyed very good labour relations and if, as now seems likely, the strike goes ahead, it will only be the second time that Corks Lane has witnessed an industrial dispute. Of course the issues at stake on this occasion are not local ones, although many officers will be affected by proposed Government changes to public sector pensions. There is however no reason to believe that the normal state of harmony that prevails at the council will be upset for long.

Everyone, of course, has the right to withdraw their labour without fear of reprisals, and this right must and will be respected. Nonetheless at a time when jobs are actively under review it would be natural if some officers at Babergh, and across the public sector as a whole, felt some small hesitation when considering whether or not to strike. It is also the case that those who wish to work should not be prevented from doing so, and I am sure that any persuasion or picketing that takes place will be reasonable and peaceful.

I understand that contingency plans are in place to deal with any emergencies that occur around the District on Wednesday. On the whole I suspect, and also much hope, that only a small number of residents will be affected by the participation of Babergh’s officers in industrial action on this occasion.

Open late this evening

2011-11-25T11:31:00.001Z

The Gainsborough's House shop is staying open late this evening in order to participate in the Christmas Shopping event in Sudbury.

Do go in and have a look at the very special range of cards and other beautiful items for sale!

Volunteering, a way into work?

2011-11-25T11:26:00.000Z

There is good deal in the media today about Government programmes to help young people who cannot find work.

In the course of meetings this week I have been discussing how, in a small way, two of the organisations with which I work in Sudbury are doing their bit in this area.

Gainsborough’s House has applied for, and received funding from the European Community to run a six month volunteer development scheme for the economically inactive. This will involve some younger people, in addition to older people seeking to get back into work such as young mothers with children, and even pensioners. Participants will learn about how the museum works and get practical experience as room stewards in the office and in the shop. I understand from the organiser, Nick Winch, that the level of interest has been high.

The CAB has for a long time tried to attract young people as volunteers. Often we train them and then they move on to paid work, sometimes within the CAB service. This can be rather frustrating, but they do make a contribution while they are at the Bureau and it is gratifying when, having gained some confidence, they can move onwards and upwards.

Some people are cynical about such schemes and see them as exploitation. Of course since we are talking about volunteers no payment is involved. However, the people involved do get something to add to their CV, and it could be that that makes all the difference to that crucial job application.

Weed in the Ward

2011-11-25T09:16:00.001Z

Yesterday I received the following press release from the police:

Suffolk; cannabis factory found in Acton ,Sudbury

Police in Sudbury have seized around 50 cannabis plants following the discovery of a cannabis factory in Daniels Close Acton on Thursday 24th November 2011.Officers entered the address at 3am this morning

Police picture taken at the site

A 32 year-old man was arrested at the scene on suspicion of production of a controlled drug. He was taken to the Bury St Edmunds Police Investigation Centre

Inspector Crick would like to encourage anyone with information or concerns around possible cannabis factories or drugs in general to contact Suffolk Constabulary on 01473 613500.or speak to officers at Sudbury police station.

Another important article from local conservationist, George Millins

2011-11-21T09:11:00.001Z

At the risk of being repetitious, here is a summary of things to do which will help our wildlife through the winter.

Rotting trees..a winter refuge for reptiles

Providing food and water for birds will be at the top of most people’s agenda but keeping feeders clean is equally important. In recent years large numbers of Greenfinches were lost to a disease which, at least in part, was passed on via dirty feeders and water containers.

Please be aware of hibernating amphibians, reptiles, bats and hedgehogs. Reptiles are less likely to be found in gardens and will usually hibernate safely below ground in old mammal holes, beneath rotting tree stumps and established rubble piles. Amphibians are often in far less secure hibernacula, some choosing to over-winter at the bottom of ponds. Bats will use lofts, barns and other roof space, and where available, holes in trees. Hedgehogs have declined dramatically over the last decade or so and are very vulnerable indeed, they may be spending the winter months in a pile of leaves under a hedge, in a bush, under low garden shrubs or under an old outbuilding - all these locations may ultimately be where they will create a nest and produce young next season. If any hibernating animals are accidentally disturbed please call one of the numbers below or the County Wildlife Trust for help and advice.

There are three major factors involved in the continued rapid decline of wildlife. Modern intensive farming methods have had a great impact on all groups of wildlife including amphibians. A vast number of ponds on arable land have been back filled and lost to the plough, and where they remain, are usually surrounded by trees and scrub, shading out aquatic plants, consuming large amounts of water and causing the pond to progress to just a damp hollow. Even if the pond remains open to sunlight, in an arable field it lacks the terrestrial habitat required to support amphibians, this should be about ten times the area of the pond and consist of rough grazing meadows, hedges, marshland, scrub or woodland - the clue is in the name amphibian, when not engaged in breeding activities most of the population will be terrestrial.

The Silver Studded Blue...sacrificed to Sainsbury's

The second factor which has been even more destructive over the last decade is of course the urban sprawl which includes many new road structures dissecting and isolating habitats. New developments have destroyed vast amounts of habitat, those rough Brownfield sites were excellent habitat for a whole range of mammals, birds, invertebrates, amphibians and reptiles - the impact on the latter three groups has been very severe as they have nowhere else to go. True, reptiles and some amphibians are protected and efforts are made to remove them to chosen receptor sites such as Cornard Country Park and Old School Wood at Gt. Waldingfield, but no new sites have been allocated and any maintenance of such sites depends largely on unpaid volunteers - they are a bit thin on the ground! The laws created to protect our wildlife are very weak indeed enabling those who should implement them to easily find a loophole. The reptile populations in the Sudbury, Haverhill and Ipswich areas have been decimated in recent years along with other attendant species - a good example being the Silver Studded blue butterfly. This is a heathland species which has been eradicated from a section of heathland in Ipswich occupied by Sainsbury's, This store carries a large image of the butterfly on the front of the shop, but efforts to translocate this rare and beautiful insect failed so the image is now tragically, just a memorial.

The third reason for excessive losses to our wildlife, in particular bees, butterflies and other invertebrates, reptiles and small mammals, all of which are food sources for other creatures such as the Barn Owl and most other bird species. This reason is actually quite unnecessary and adds to our council tax bill, it is of course the creation of green deserts by repeatedly mowing every bit of amenity grass-land. Given the serious declines in all grass-land species, given the cost, and the fact that grass-land removes more carbon from the atmosphere than woodland, this is absolute MADNESS! Man continues to display a total lack of wisdom; yes we are innovative, can journey to the moon and beyond but lack the simple common sense to preserve our own planet and the treasures it contains, which incidentally, are essential to our ultimate survival, and all in the name of tidiness, a human perception only.

Can we do less of this?

If anyone has the slightest inclination to help wildlife in and around your garden, or help with habitat work on local sites please contact me. A small group are currently working on Shawlands Wood and Bank with the aim of improving the habitat for existing species and attracting a wider variety of wildlife. There are a variety of tasks, something for everyone, this work party is scheduled for the second Sunday in each month starting at 10-00 and finishing 12-30 to 13-00. Our aim is to achieve Local Nature Reserve status so we need to record species present, in particular, birds and invertebrates. We are currently creating a butterfly area which requires careful management and the planting of native butterfly food and nectar plants. If interested just turn up on the day or call one of the numbers below.

George Millins 01787 374874 mobile 07534 263629

Drums and cutters

2011-11-16T12:53:00.001Z

Well the councils were listening, but no one was saying anything....

A public meeting was held yesterday evening at Sudbury Upper School aimed at seeking community views on the hard pressed budgets of both Babergh District and Suffolk County Council. It looked at first sight as though it was going to be something of a non event.

Of the 10 people huddled in the gloomy lecture hall, which would have accommodated at least 300 people, only two, stalwarts from Citizens Advice and the Bridge Project, were not elected representatives. The Mayor of Sudbury, Tony Platt, who always takes his job seriously, was in attendance, and apart from him only a handful of Conservative Councillors from Babergh and from the Town Council had turned out to listen.

This was, of course, a disappointment. I know from my many years as an investment analyst that a lot of people find financial matters pretty tedious, and the finances of local authorities only really arouse people when they are being asked to fork out for some service or other, or are facing a substantial increase in council tax. I wonder what would have happened if the meeting had been billed as a chance to ‘have your say on short term car parking charges.’ ?. Even this, I fear, might not have brought out the crowds on a chilly November evening.

All was not lost however, and the evening was not without its amusements. Babergh’s Director of Finance, Barry Hunter, is always an entertaining speaker. He boldly addressed the rather sparse audience as though the hall was full, and pointedly ignored the fact that many of us were already well aware of the tale of financial woe that he was telling. At one stage someone started to have what sounded like a rather loud drumming lesson in an adjacent room. This enlivened the proceedings somewhat.

Also, after the presentations, since councillors love to talk, we all had a jolly good chat among ourselves about the issues. Some interesting ideas were aired. It was good to engage with representatives from the County, and I think we should take time to do this more often. I do envy the County councillors the flexibility that a budget in excess of £1bn gives when it comes to taking hard decisions!

Help to prevent metals theft

2011-11-13T15:24:00.001Z

Two people have forwarded an e mail to me suggesting that I might like to sign a petition seeking to amend the Scrap Metal Merchants Act 1964.

I am normally rather careful about signing petitions. As several councillors found out a few years ago, doing so can restrict your ability to vote in the council chamber. However I don’t think that there is any issue in this case and I have in fact already signed.

The aim of the petition is to try to stop the rising amount of thefts of metal, including cable and lead from church roofs, by making it illegal for scrap metal dealers to pay for metal in cash. It is thought that this would go a long way to stopping the thefts since it would be very much easier to trace the seller (apparently).

Bearing in mind the fact that both Acton and Chilton churches have recently suffered the theft of lead from their roofs, and a number of local commuters have been seriously inconvenienced by cable theft from along the railway lines, it seems to me that anything that can be done to help stop this sort of crime must be a good thing.

If you would like to sign the petition go to

http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/406

and follow the instructions!

Time for old friends, and a few seals too.

2011-11-08T11:35:00.004Z

Norfolk Seal, just visible!

Two years or so ago my cousin Jean died. We were close, but she lived in the Cotswolds which is a little way away. At the time we had been meaning to go up to see her. The trouble was that we were both busy and so we kept putting it off. And then, all of a sudden she had gone and I was really sorry that I had not managed to make the time to take the trip.

With this in mind we have been spending a lot of our spare time this autumn visiting friends and family who live a little way away. We visited my uncle in Leigh on Sea a week or so ago, and this weekend we went up to Norfolk to see Seb and Jez, two old friends who have recently moved to East Anglia from Kent.

They live just inland from Bacton, which apparently is a less fashionable part of the county than the 'fashionable' north coast. It is wonderfully quiet and there are some nice sandy beaches, although they are rapidly eroding in places. We were dispatched to a place where seals are often in evidence. I gather that these shy beasts are getting fed up with being stared at by boatloads of people in Blakeney and that many have migrated to the quieter east coast. They find that the offshore sea defences attract and trap a lot of fish for dinner! We were lucky enough to see quite a lot swimming out at sea, and although one came very close, none came up onto the beach.

Nick and Rendle on the Beach with sea defences just visible

A New Waste Transfer Station for Sudbury?

2011-11-04T12:07:00.004Z

At yesterday's Strategy Committee Meeting Members agreed, following the recommendation of the Suffolk Waste Partnership of which Babergh is a member, that officers should investigate adopting a joint approach to contract procurement in the area of waste transfer and recycling (i.e. rubbish to you or me). This would mean that Babergh would join with the other 6 District Councils in Suffolk, together with the County Council in order to get the best possible value in contract negotiations. The combination would also enable us to take a truly ‘county wide’ approach to waste and make sure that the logistics of the service are optimised.

At present all the rubbish lorries that collect refuse in the Sudbury area are obliged to drive separately to Great Blakenham so a local collection point would, on the face of it, seem to be a better way of doing things.

Where it goes now. Recycling at Great Blakenham

However at the meeting I did ask a question about a potential increase in overall traffic movements locally. The answer I received was reasonably reassuring but none the less this is something to be alert to.

Traffic control around the new site would need to be carefully organised to minimise nuisance to any nearby residents. Furthermore, at the transfer station the rubbish would be transferred into larger vehicles for onward transportation to the County Council's proposed energy from waste facility (a computer generated image of which is pictured below). This is scheduled to come on stream from December 2014. It is important that the route these vehicles take from Sudbury is carefully prescribed and does not include driving through vulnerable village centres, or along country roads!

Where it will go after 2014

Over 9000 jobs, but for whom?

2011-11-02T18:22:00.002Z


Homes? Should they have been built here?

I am indebted to my colleague Brian Riley who has written today on his blog about the Babergh Development Framework consultation event at Hadleigh yesterday evening.

Of particular interest was a question about the vast number of jobs that the plan envisages being 'created' in Babergh over the next 20 years. I quote:

'One of the anomalies thrown up in the briefing was that we are providing for about 9,700 new jobs in Babergh by 2031. The question was asked how come we are creating four new jobs for every home to be built. We were told that the figures were not directly comparative – but by pressing the point we were told that some of the jobs were to be created on the Ipswich fringe for Ipswich people, since there was a shortage of land for job creation in Ipswich. The reason for this shortage is because Ipswich had encouraged businesses to move outside their boundaries to be replaced by housing. Businesses bring no direct monetary benefit to the local authorities – instead it goes to the Central Government and is then redistributed. So where is the logic in providing for jobs which have no direct benefit to our tax payers and which instead leave us with the pollution and other costs associated with providing business infrastructure. We were later told that some of the 9,700 jobs were associated with previously approved planning applications. However the underlying questions were not answered – instead we were told that it is not a simple as that. Fortunately/unfortunately we ran out of time before simple answers could be provided.

For more information see http://www.babergh.gov.uk/Babergh/Home/Planning+and+Building+Control/Local+Development+Framework/

Perhaps those going along to the equivalent event in Acton tomorrow evening might ask some questions about this?

The only point that I would make is that Brian is right about Business Rates as things stand at present. If however the Government's proposals to allow local authorities to keep new business rates generated become a reality this could be a nice windfall for the council. However, the proposals are not at all straightforward and there is a high level of uncertainty with regard to how they will finally be implemented.

Also, to the extent that the jobs are filled by Babergh residents, this would reduce the 'commuting out problem' that seems to worry some people so much.

To read more from Brian go to his blog (A better way for Hadleigh or 'abwfh')

http://abwfh.com

New health centre set to go ahead

2011-11-02T18:00:00.000Z

Just an update to say that Babergh Development Committee today unanimously passed the plans for the new Sudbury health centre in Church Field Road.

This was done at some speed by the officer concerned, and with a high level of co-operation and flexibility from the applicant so congratulations to all concerned.

A visit to Stratford

2011-10-31T18:28:00.000Z

Last week Nick and I went over to Stratford upon Avon to see a play in the newly refurbished Royal Shakespeare Theatre. The renewed exterior of the building is shown below.

We unexpectedly met some old friends as we arrived and so did not get much further than the bar. This means that I am unable to report on most of the new parts of the theatre, although the 'in the round' auditorium is a great improvement on the 1950's one from the point of view of both comfort and sight lines.

I spent my childhood in Stratford and so always enjoy going back to revisit friends and old haunts.

Prints on view and for sale at Gainsborough's House

2011-10-31T18:05:00.001Z

The current temporary exhibition at Gainsborough’s House celebrates the success of the Gainsborough’s House Print Workshop. The workshop, which has been in existence for over 30 years, has grown in fame and stature and is now, I understand, considered by those who know about these things to be one of the leading facilities of its kind in the country.

I spent a good deal of Saturday at Gainsborough’s House, and was able to admire the wide variety of prints on display. All manner of different techniques are represented. In addition to the artworks there are glass cases showing some of the tools of the printmaker’s trade so it is possible to learn quite a lot about how different prints are created.

The works on the walls have been selected by a group of distinguished art professionals. Works are included not only from experienced members of the Workshop enjoying national reputations, but also from artists who are just beginning their careers.

In addition to the exhibited works, a selection of unframed original prints can be viewed in large racks. Most of the works are for sale, and offer the opportunity to purchase an original work of art, in most cases for a relatively reasonable sum.

The exhibition runs until 17^th December. At present entrance to the Museum is free on Tuesday afternoons.

Health Centre Planning application; decision due on Wednesday

2011-10-29T14:55:00.002Z

Blue, not red, NHS tape!

The Planning Application for the new Sudbury Health facility is due to come before the Development Committee on Wednesday.

The site in Church Field Road is actually in Chilton and it has therefore been the task of Chilton Parish Council to scrutinise the plans and to voice concerns about aspects of the scheme.

This it has done with a high level of diligence and attention to detail. Although in favour of the scheme as a whole, the Council has been keen to ensure that the quality of life of local residents is respected, particularly from the point of view of light pollution and noise, both during and after the construction period.

I have been impressed by the innovative and attractive design of the building, which, once built, will I think prove a positive rather than a negative feature in the area. I hope it will prove that not all new development has to be a blot on the landscape. Having listened to requests to keep the building's height at a reasonable 9 metres, the developer has been sensitive to the wishes of local people which is very cheering.

One issue that does concern me is that the facility is a little way out of town. It does have a car park, but not everyone has a car. Let's just hope that the bus services which run close to the site can be maintained, or even improved, in the years to come. The current situation with bus services elsewhere in the County, where cuts have been the order of the day, does not give an encouraging precedent.

The sugar beet campaign

2011-10-27T19:21:00.001Z

I always enjoy watching the sugar beet harvest around Newmans Green.

The mud on the roads is a bit of a pain, although it has not been too bad this year due to the dry weather.

I do like to see the great heaps of sugar beet, waiting for the lorry to transport the crop off to the factory at Bury St Edmunds, the steam from which can be seen from our garden on a clear day. It must be about 12 miles distant, if not more.

This year the beets are stacked on either side of the road leading down to Long Melford and look particularly impressive!

The new development framework - an attempt to revive dying settlements.

2011-10-22T13:24:00.001Z

I attended Thursday evening's workshop on the Babergh Development Framework in Bildeston because I am unable to go to the one in Acton on 3rd November owing to a prior engagement.

The Bildeston event was attended largely by people from villages, rather than from the market towns, which made a difference to the conversation.

Away from the controversies with regard to the number of houses that Sudbury and Hadleigh are going to be obliged to accommodate, the main issue in the villages is whether or not some development is acceptable in order to keep communities alive and, yes, sustainable.

A succession of recent local plans have put a virtual veto on any development in those more remote places. They were not considered to be 'core' settlements and only a very limited amount of building has been permitted. The predictable result has been that pubs and shops have closed., bus routes have been discontinued and as small cottages have been extended, the villages have become the preserve of the better off.

Allowing a limited amount of new housing to meet the needs of younger people cannot, I fear, save the facilities that have been lost, but there will be two major benefits. Firstly there is a chance that those brought up in the village may be able to find a home close to their families, and secondly, a house or two built in every settlement in Babergh would relieve some of the very real pressure on the urban fringe sites.

News from Branchlines AGM

2011-10-16T11:38:00.002Z

On Friday evening a select band attended the Branchlines Annual General Meeting at Great Waldingfield School.

We learnt about the progress that has been made at the community woodland over the past year. The most significant news is the completion of the pond, which, it is hoped will fill up naturally with rainwater over the coming winter. Struggles with ragwort continue, and a number of unexpected species of plants have appeared on the site. Children from the school have enjoyed a number of visits over the year.

After the formal proceedings were completed we heard from George Millins, our local wildlife champion, who has been attempting to introduce lizards to the site with some success. In addition to pictures of the lizards we also enjoyed some fine pictures of native and ‘migrant’ butterflies. George was able to inform us about the plants on which they feed. and also the relative robustness of each type in the face of the challenges of modern life and farming techniques.

So many creatures are under threat due to the selfishness of humankind. George always points out that we are all part of one huge chain of mutual support, so that the loss of any species is a loss to ourselves that we are often too blind or greedy to realise.

We worry about the financial legacy we are leaving for our children and grandchildren. We should spend more time being concerned about the level of biodiversity too.

Why short term parking charges may have to 'plug the gap'

2011-10-14T10:53:00.003Z

It is an interesting co-incidence that the level of Babergh’s estimated budget shortfall for the 2012/13 financial year is around the same level as the amount of money that would have been saved by the full constitutional merger of the Council with Mid Suffolk.

Of course the merger would not have taken place until 2013/14, but had the associated savings been on the horizon, it would have been easier, I think, to justify taking some money out of our rather depleted reserves, or using the new homes bonus money recently received from the Government to make up next year’s shortfall.

As readers will remember a good deal of misinformation about the proposed merger was put about by Liberal Democrat and Labour politicians ahead of the poll, and as a result, and as predicted, we now have to look elsewhere to ‘plug the gap’, as John Sayers so elegantly put it in the Suffolk Free Press this week.

Since we are doing all we can with regard to generating savings from integration with Mid Suffolk (stopping short of a full merger), and since these savings will not be sufficient to produce a balanced budget, we are having to look elsewhere for funds.

And this brings us to the knotty problem of short term car parking charges.

One of the misleading statements put about before the poll in May was that, were the merger to go ahead, car parking charges would be inevitable since some areas of Mid Suffolk already levy them. I wrote at the time* that, due to the urgent need to find savings, failure to merge would be more likely to herald their introduction. This may well prove to be the case.

At present we are looking at all the options (of which there are not many, and all unpleasant).

*See post for 1^st May this year ‘A daft claim from the Liberal Democrats’

Christmas comes but once a year...but lasts for months and months

2011-10-10T14:48:00.000Z

I don’t think I can bear it!

At today’s Great Waldingfield ‘Drop in’ there were Christmas Cards for sale!

When I got home Waitrose was in my inbox inviting me to ‘get ahead of the rush’ and book my Christmas delivery slot.

For goodness sake! It’s only the 10^th October.

Bah humbug!

Refurbished Hall officially opens.

2011-10-09T10:02:00.000Z

On Friday Great Waldingfield’s refurbished Village Hall was reopened, following major renovation works.

The hall looks fantastic as can be seen from the photo, and what is more it now has great environmental credentials! From the outside the only visible change is the new porch, but inside the hall and kitchen have been completely refurbished. The floor, which gave signs of rotting from within in 2008, is now as smooth as a billiard table, and is clad in lovely pale wood. Energy for the hall is now generated by solar panels and an underground heat pump. Surplus power is being fed back into the grid, generating useful funds towards the upkeep of the hall.

Energy control box showing power generated

Nearly £160,000 has been raised from a number of different bodies, including Babergh, to pay for the project. The form filling and bureaucracy involved was very onerous and the completion of the project is a credit to all involved.

A good deal of the burden has been shouldered by John Steele, the Chairman of Great Waldingfield Parish Council, to whom should go special congratulations and thanks! John is pictured above with Caroline Hallett, The Rector of Great Waldingfield and Acton.

Integration news: Top officer selection and a new Joint Housing Panel

2011-10-07T10:44:00.000Z

Integration of operations at Babergh and Mid Suffolk continues apace.

Now that our joint Chief Executive, Charlie Adan, has settled in, next week interviews will be taking place to select the team of senior officers who will oversee the work of both organisations. This is a difficult process, since not everyone will come out with what they want, but I do know that all of the people involved have received, and will continue to receive, professional support to help them make the best of the challenge they face.

In the meantime at yesterday’s Strategy Committee we approved proposals to set up a Joint Housing Board for Mid Suffolk and Babergh. Three Councillors from Babergh and three from Mid Suffolk will sit on the new body, which will also include tenants’ representatives. Shortly a single officer to oversee Housing at both councils will be appointed, and this ensures that the management and governance of the area as a whole is put on a sound footing.

This is not a small enterprise! Between them Babergh and Mid Suffolk have 7000 council houses, which takes us into the top quartile in terms of size in the Eastern Region. Economies of scale should result, and better ways of working together should effect a transformation of how we deliver this service.

The Board will set policy for the day to day administration and management of the housing stock . The Strategy Committee/Cabinet of each council will continue to make decisions on housing finance, rent levels etc. Clearly however there will have to be a good deal of interaction to ensure that the joint operations work efficiently and fairly.

Learn to love your computer

2011-10-04T15:50:00.002Z

Once again those who find working with computers challenging, or who wish to improve their skills, can receive help and support by signing up with the Cockfield Computer Circle. Courses start again on October 24^th.

Sessions are free of charge and are held at Cockfield Hall on Monday afternoons. A wide range of subjects are covered, and complete beginners are catered for.

I can forward interested parties an e mail with details of dates and the subjects to be covered, but

For further information and to sign up for specific sessions, please contact Neil Ashton, neilka@btopenworld.com Tel: 01284 827238 or 07900 880 888.

Great Waldingfield revealed!

2011-09-30T11:14:00.000Z

Last week I took delivery of my copy of the Great Waldingfield Village Scrapbook.

The book has been maintained and compiled by Edna Allan, who, I learnt, came to the village on her marriage in 1947. Material in the book dates back to 1951 when it was started by the WI. Mrs Allen was encouraged to publish the document by Mike Stone, who, as is well known, is interested not just in local history, but also in the stories of the people who lived, and still live, in the village.

The book is really beautifully produced. There is much of interest in it, including a history of the village dating back to the 1950’s. There is also a fascinating report of the Coronation in 1953. It seems that some two weeks after the event children and pensioners from the village were taken to the cinema in Sudbury to see a colour film of the event!

The scrapbook promises hours of interest, even to one who has got to know the village well relatively recently. It shows that much changes over time, but much also stays the same. What is clear from the scrapbook is that the Big Society has been alive and well in Great Waldingfield for many years.

Copies of the scrapbook are available from Mike Stone (who can be found at GW Business Associates next to the shop). I do recommend it to anyone interested in our area.

Flower festival and Harvest Festival in Great Waldingfield this weekend

2011-09-27T10:50:00.000Z

Harvest Festival by Andrew Strange

I am sorry that owing to a prior engagement I will be unable to attend the Great Waldingfield Flower Festival in the Church this weekend.

I understand that proceedings commence at 11a.m. on both Saturday and Sunday, and that there will be a Harvest Festival service on Sunday at 11.a.m.

In addition to floral displays there will be refreshments and a number of stalls.

I hope that the weather continues to be kind until the weekend!

Is there a message for our planners here?

2011-09-25T09:32:00.001Z

Suffolk Preservation Society donations are on the right!

I am always intrigued when I look at the Community Matters donation box in Waitrose.

The number of little green tokens given by customers to each of the month's good causes often shows that some charities attract a lot more support than others despite appearing on the face of it to be equally worthy. Anything to do with animals seems to fill the box to overflowing in a few days, as is the case for charities which support servicemen, whether retired or active.

I have been quite surprised (and pleased) this month to see the Suffolk Preservation Society streaking ahead in the green token stakes, against what I would have imagined would be stiff competition from other causes. I feel to some extent that this vindicates my continuing struggle to ensure that economic growth is not the dominant driver behind Babergh's planning policy. It is quite clear to me that what many of the residents of Babergh want is to preserve our wonderful natural and built, and this is further evidence of this.

Of course it has to be admitted that the customers of Waitrose are not really a random sample of the population. It is a relatively expensive place to shop, and is not the supermarket of choice for many.

Nonetheless I do not think that the clear opinion of its customers should be ignored.

Vote on Monday for a local project!

2011-09-24T14:07:00.001Z

Bookends of Sudbury is planning an artistic extravaganza for Sudbury in 2012.

The community art gallery (which can be found just opposite the back door to the Town Hall in Gaol Lane) is a not for profit organisation devoted to supporting local artists and promoting artistic education for all in the local community. Courses are run throughout the year, and for 2011 they are hoping to organise a ‘summer of art ‘trail through the town.

At Gainsborough’s House we are very excited about this project, since we are keen to play our part and encourage all artistic activity in Sudbury. We know that, as a gallery and museum, we will benefit from more visitors to the town, particularly if they are interested in art. Additionally we want to encourage all residents in and around Sudbury to discover for themselves how much more enriching life becomes once you get the ‘art habit’, whether as practitioner or aficionado! We hope to be able to lend our support to Bookends in a number of ways.

It is hoped that the event, once established, will become an annual event, exploring different themes each time.

To get the project off the ground, funding is currently being sought from Natwest Community Force, which supports community projects around the country. It is a competitive process however, and the initiative needs your vote!

You can help to get the project off the ground by going to

http://communityforce.natwest.com/project/1593

on or after 26^th September to register your support.

Questions by candlelight

2011-09-18T06:31:00.000Z

Yesterday evening's quiz at Chilton Church was a wonderful event.

The Church looked really stunning; the pews having been moved to the sides of the church, and, of course, since there is no electricity at the church, the event was illuminated by hurricane lamps and candles.

There was enough light however to see the numerous pieces of paper that we were obliged to fill in, and also the plasticine models which each team was asked to construct as part of a 'sculptural charades' competition.

We would have done better if I had not leapt in prematurely in one round and scored nil points...so apologies to our team mates for that! I was sure that the answer was Ronald Regan, but it turned out to be Paul Newman.....

It really was an evening with a difference, and I hope it will be repeated next year. The Church, which is not very large, provides a wonderful space for this sort of event.

Thanks to the Friends of St Mary's Church in general, and David Tibbetts Chaplin and Eileen Gore in particular.

Lullaby Concerts return to Suffolk

2011-09-13T08:15:00.003Z

Back in Suffolk by popular demand, the City of London Sinfonia will be presenting a Lullaby Concert in St Peter's Church on Wednesday 26th October. There are two performances, one at 11 a.m. and one at 2p.m.

Presented by specialist musician, Clare Bloor, the theme of the concert this year is 'magic'. Audience members are encouraged to take inspiration from the theme and dress the part, and also to enjoy a good deal of singing and other audience participation. The programme will include pieces such as The Sorcerers Apprentice and the overture to the Magic Flute.

At the end of the concert some musical instruments will be available for children to try out.

Children aged up to 7 and their parents will be very welcome at the concerts which are presented by Babergh through Orchesras Live, in partnership with other District Councils in Suffolk, The County Music Service, and MusicLeader, East of England.

Three events this weekend

2011-09-11T06:33:00.004Z

Yesterday I spent a busy afternoon visiting three of the four churches in the Ward, all of which are hosting events this weekend. All events continue today, and I strongly recommend all three of them.

My first stop was at Chilton where a most interesting exhibition about the history of the Church is on display. The exhibits provoked a good deal of interest as can be seen below.

Visitors at Chilton Church admiring the exhibition

Then on to the Little Waldingfield’s biennial Flower Festival. I think that the exhibits this year, if it is possible, surpass even the wonders that were on display in 2009. The displays were based on places in Suffolk. The lighthouse in the font, representing Southwold, shown above, was quite spectacular! Woodbridge was also very inventive with its reference to the Sutton Hoo Treasure:

My favourite display however was that representing Aldeburgh:

Finally I arrived at Acton Church just in time to take in this year’s art show. As usual the range of paintings on display was impressive. I was a little concerned that the show appeared to be hung by theme rather than by artist, which is an interesting approach, but, possibly, a rather confusing one for the visitor. On balance I prefer to look at one artist’s efforts at a time, but I know that this is a matter of taste. The show, which has been on for two weeks now, closes at 5 p.m. today.

Art in Acton Church

More convenient parking arrangements announced

2011-09-06T13:05:00.001Z

Car park users in Sudbury and Hadleigh will be able to use long-stay car parking spaces for up to 72 hours from next week.

Permit holders will also be able to use any of the three long stay car parks instead of having to nominate just one.

The changes are being implemented after Officers at Babergh carried out a review of the way in which long-stay car parking spaces were being used since the implementation of charges for staying more than three hours in its Sudbury and Hadleigh car parks began last October.

I hope that people will notice that we have listened to suggestions and taken notice!

As an afterthought, I have to say I find the comment in the Free Press this Thursday that Babergh has made a 'U Turn' on this issue quite ridiculous. The council has always committed itself to reviewing and making changes to the parking scheme if obvious improvements can be made. Hardly a 'U Turn' I think.

Should we plan for high growth in Babergh?

2011-09-05T17:51:00.002Z

We had quite an eventful Council Meeting this morning. The main purpose of the meeting was to approve the Core Strategy of the Babergh Development Framework for consultation. The Core Strategy is the document which sets out the strategic parameters that will drive planning policy over the next 20 years. The creation of a planning framework for the District is probably the single most important thing that we do as a council in my view.

Although there was little point in debating the contents of the paper in detail prior to hearing the views of Babergh residents, a number of us took the opportunity to flag up parts of the Framework that may give us reasons to object to the proposals in the future.

I expressed my concern that the framework as currently formulated seems to prioritise the demands of economic growth over and about concern about the environment, both built and natural, and social factors. This I think is misguided. The three components, economic growth, environmental concerns and people, should be equally weighted when considering planning applications.

To emphasis jobs growth over other factors in an area which as relatively low unemployment and which has one of the most high quality of life scores in the country seems to me to be a recipe for wealth destruction rather than economic wellbeing....golden geese and eggs come to mind.

We shall see what the public has to say about the issue.

Are we worth it?

2011-09-05T17:45:00.002Z

Some of you may have heard Tony Bavington, who is the leader of the three strong Labour Group at Babergh, on the radio this morning, promoting his Party's proposal that would require councillors at Babergh to take a 28 percent pay cut over three years. The funds raised, he suggested, might be added to our community grants programme.

I voted against the idea, along with all but five of the thirty five or so councillors present. Since the Labour group clearly courted the press ahead of the meeting to make sure that their plans did not go unnoticed, one has to conclude that it was what it looked like: an orchestrated political gesture.

Prior to the introduction of allowances (by a Labour Government) District councillors gave their time for free, only claiming out of pocket expenses. This was changed because as things stood only the well off and relatively elderly, or those supported by Trade Unions, could afford to stand. It is certainly the case that the average age of councillors has declined somewhat since that time. It is also true however that young people still find it hard to take time off work. However, the main difference that allowances have made, I think, is that more self-employed people now stand for office, and the experience that they bring to the council is very valuable.

The level of allowances is reviewed by an independent board from time to time. At Babergh the last review was held in 2008 and another review is likely to happen within the next year. Although it is almost certain that the board will recommend a rise given the rate of inflation, it is quite possible that councillors will choose to forego any increase at a time when we are asking residents and staff to make sacrifices.

The remuneration received is hardly munificent in any event. We are not in Member of Parliament territory here! One member today worked out that he gets paid about £1.50 an hour for his efforts. I had done the same sum and come up with a similar result.

Any of us can choose to waive our allowances, or out of pocket expenses, if we wish and some do without making any song and dance about it. Many use some of the money to make donations to charity or other good causes of our choice. I personally regard the money in part as compensation for my husband, Nick, who is often marooned at home without our car, and who puts up with a good deal of ‘civic activity’ uncomplainingly.

Quite frankly however, I do not feel councillors need to spend a lot of time justifying their value to the community. As they say in the ads: I think we’re worth it! But do you?

The Budget Challenge

2011-09-03T09:15:00.000Z

Throughout September Babergh is asking Parish Councils to help the council to set its budget for the year to March 2013. Councillors will be asked, among other things, what services are of most importance to them, and also for ideas about how we could deliver services differently/more efficiently.

The exercise is necessary because, even though significant cost savings will be achieved by the integration of many of our services with those of Mid Suffolk District Council, there is still some way to go in balancing the books.

This is due to the fact that our Government grant is being cut by something like 26% over the next two years. In addition inflation is running at a relatively high level at present.

Frank Lawrenson and I will be giving a short presentation to Parish Councils in September which it is hoped will give them information to help them to help us!

Frank will be at Great Waldingfield Parish Council Meeting on 12th September and at Little Waldingfield on 20th September. I will be at Chilton on Tuesday 6th September and at Acton on 12th September.

Members of the public are welcome to all Parish Council meetings, so come along if you want to know more, or to have your say.

Strange Creatures revealed

2011-09-03T08:57:00.003Z

Dog Woman revealed......

Rarely-open St Mary's Church, Chilton, is staging a two-day exhibitionover National Heritage Weekend.(10th /11th). It commemorates the 150thanniversary of the completion of the first stage of a Victorianrestoration that gave the interior a pseudo medieval look.

But genuine 15th century gems survived including atiny wood carving near the reading desk. It appears to be the head of awoman wearing a wimple of folded linen. But recent closer examination revealedthat the face has a dog's jaw with an extended tongue.

The exhibition also puts the spotlight on three other strangecreatures in the church as well as telling other Chilton stories including howthe church silver vanished to Wales, the Iron Age neighbours in ChurchField Road and how the art of recycling has beautified the church. One of themany photographs featured will be a German Luftwaffe spy plane view of Chiltonand its church in 1940.

St Mary's will be open on Saturday (10th) from 9am to 5pmand on Sunday from 10am to 2.15 pm. This is followed by the harvest festival at3pm. After the weekend, the exhibition will transfer to St Gregory's Church,Sudbury, for a week.

Thanks to Val Herbert for contributing this article.

Revamped Fire Station revealed

2011-09-03T08:47:00.000Z

It was a beautiful morning on Thursday for the opening ofSudbury’s newly refurbished Fire Station.

A lot of people from the local community, including County,District, Town and local Parish councillors, turned out to see Colin Spence,who is the Portfolio Holder for Public Safety at Suffolk County Council, unveilthe plaque.

It was a special day for Sudbury and also for Colin. On exactly the same day, some years ago now,Colin was born in a house which stood very close to where the fire stationstands today.

Unveiling the plaque with Andy Fry, Chief Fire Officer and Tony Platt, Mayor of Sudbury.

The refurbishment of the fire station, which is now 'state of the art', was planned in moreprosperous times. Today, in the age ofausterity, it is unlikely that such a large investment would have been possible.

Included in the refurbishment is a community room which canbe booked by local groups free of charge.

Helmets and other kit in the new station

Pylons do have fans.

2011-08-30T09:46:00.001Z

The pylons across Suffolk saga rumbles on, and although the danger has probably receded for Waldingfield Ward, others in the South of the District continue to argue for a more sensitive and holistic approach from National Grid.

In this connection, I thought that the Pylon Appreciation Society, which is lead by the rather suspiciously named Flash Bristow, was a practical joke and didn’t actually exist in reality, but it seems that I am wrong.

On the Today programme yesterday morning Ms Bristow, from the Society, was invited to debate the pylon issue with Tessa Munt, the Liberal Democrat MP, who is fighting the march of these monsters across her Somerset constituency.

I notice from the Pylon Appreciation Society’s website that Ms Bristow lives in Leytonstone, but spends her time out and about photographing pylons while extolling their aesthetic and practical benefits. I suppose that if you live in Leytonstone you are not too bothered about the adverse impact that these eyesores represent for the minority who live in rural areas. The National Grid invariably buries pylons in urban areas. It irritated me to hear Ms Bristow repeat the oft repeated claim from National Grid that it is 12 to 17 times more expensive to ‘underground’ transmission cables. We all know now that this is a misleading exaggeration.

More blots on the landscape.

Recently, according to the Times, Dr Liam Fox, the Defence Secretary, wrote to Chris Huhne arguing that it is in fact cheaper to bury power lines underground, or to reroute lines under the sea. He claims that National Grid in making its back of envelope calculations has neither taken into account the lower cost of maintenance for buried cables, and also the fact that far less power is lost in transmission. Over forty years, taking these factors into account, pylons due to be built in Somerset would cost £1.1m, whereas a buried line would cost only half this amount.

“If we are to have credible green credentials then the decision needs to be taken on more than short-term economics ignoring the environmental impact in the longer term,” Dr Fox wrote in his letter.

This seems right to me, and it also seems a good principle to adopt when looking at planning issues in general. I wonder if the Government will extrapolate from Dr Fox's principles when it comes to reviewing their planning guidance? I am afraid that I have my doubts.

Angel Delight

2011-08-27T17:40:00.002Z

Some new friends from Cambridge, whom we met on our recent holiday, came to Sudbury yesterday to see the exhibition at Gainsborough's House. They were suitably impressed by the show (which is to be reviewed in Country Life shortly).

After this cultural excursion we decided to try the Angel in Friars Street. I suppose that you would now call this a gastropub, since there is no longer a bar and the emphasis is on dining. Open in its current guise for almost two years, I have to say that we were all impressed by the comfort, service and fresh, good value food. There is a pleasant courtyard at the back, but unfortunately the rain kept us indoors.

We stuck to the very reasonable two courses for £10 option. There were three choices of starter and main course on the set menu, and if you wanted a pudding, instead of a starter, you could choose anything from the main menu. I had a most delicious fennel and garlic soup. Creamy, freshly made and flavourful, it was an unusual combination which worked really well. The others enjoyed a very fresh tasting squid salad, without a trace of rubbery texture. We all chose coq au vin for our main courses, and very good it was too. Served with fresh vegetables, the chicken was well cooked in a good sauce. The wine list was reasonable value by today's standard.

All in all excellent value, excellent cooking all served with a smile and at reasonable speed. We will be returning to the Angel in the future.

New health facility supported with reservations.

2011-08-24T08:59:00.003Z

Artist's impression of the new Centre

Yesterday evening Chilton Parish Council voted to recommend that Babergh approve plans for a new Health Centre for Sudbury off Church Field Road, Chilton. Councillors did however express reservations with regard to a number of aspects of the scheme.

Peter Clifford, Parish Council Chairman, who has been closely involved in the development of the scheme from an early stage, gave a presentation which gave a good idea of the design and lay out of the new building.

On the whole the meeting, which was attended by several members of the public, appeared to find the design of the innovative new multi-million pound facility very attractive. It certainly includes many environmentally friendly features, including green turf roofs and solar panels to supplement internal energy sources.

The facility will include a Doctor’s surgery (the Siam Surgery is to move from central Sudbury), a Dentist, outpatient facilities such as X ray and chiropody, and consulting and counselling rooms. It is hoped that there will also be a pharmacy and an out of hours medical service. No beds are to be provided, but 12 beds have been commissioned by the NHS from private facilities elsewhere in the town to compensate for those lost from Walnuttree.

Councillors, while welcoming the scheme, recognising that it might be Sudbury’s last chance to establish such a facility, did have some reservations. They were concerned that there was insufficient and contradictory information about lighting and noise for example. These concerns, which could affect residents of nearby houses, are to be communicated to Babergh’s planners.

The Health Authority listened when the community expressed the view that previously proposed buildings on the site were too tall. It is to be hoped that they, and the planners, continue to respond to residents’ reasonable concerns as the project moves on.

Only a month to see 'girls disporting themselves' at Gainsborough's House

2011-08-20T17:23:00.004Z

There is a little under a month left to see the really marvellous exhibition that is currently on display at Gainsborough's House in Sudbury.

I have written about the show before, so readers will know that the museum has been lucky enough to have borrowed an astonishing late painting from HM the Queen. This shows a mythological scene from Ovid in which the goddess Diana, observed bathing by a huntsman, Actaeon, is outraged and takes rather extreme revenge (see image from a Grecian vase below, which is not on show, but which gives the general idea). Being a Gainsborough, the event takes place in what looks like a Suffolk woodland glade. Gainsborough painted no other mythological or historical paintings of this type, and it is interesting to speculate why he did so in the later years of his life.

Diane and Achtaeon, Ancient Greek illustration of the myth

Other pictures and works are on display, which either share Gainsborough's mythological theme, or show ladies bathing. Turner, Cezanne, Renoir and others are represented.

The exhibition has been well reviewed in the press. In The Spectator this week Andrew Lambirth says that '..the variety and range of interest makes this an informative display as well as a delightful exhibition of naked girls disporting themselves'.

So there you have it.

The museum is free on Tuesday afternoons, but please do leave a small donation if you can! The last day of the exhibition is Saturday September 17th.

A trip to Sussex

2011-08-20T16:59:00.001Z

The site of the Battle of Hastings

We are having some building done at home and have rather restricted kitchen facilities at present.

This has meant that we have been keener than usual to spend some time away and last week we rented a cottage near Lewes in Sussex. In addition to being able to feed ourselves, we were able to take in some cultural activities and also to go for some very good walks so all members of the family were satisfied.

On Tuesday we visited Battle Abbey and were able to walk round the site of the Battle of Hastings (which as most people know is some miles inland inland from the seaside town). The audio guides provided really brought the site to life, offering some very realistic shouts, groans and the clanging of swords etc. The site is owned by English Heritage, who, unlike the National Trust in the area, is very dog friendly. This meant that Rendle was also able to walk the battlefield.

William took on Harold on a rather disadvantageous site. He had to fight for the kingdom up a very steep hill, an impression of which can be gleaned from the picture above. In the end however a wily Norman trick meant that William won the day, proving yet again I suppose that using one’s brain can compensate for all sorts of disadvantage as long as one seizes the opportunity.

It was interesting to speculate what would have happened if William had not turned out to be ‘The Conqueror’. One thing is certain, our language would have been less rich and strange without the Norman French/Anglo Saxon fusion that resulted.

Rendle with the Seven Sisters in the background

New Core Development Strategy, good in parts.

2011-08-18T10:45:00.000Z

I am writing this in East Sussex so will not be attending today’s Strategy Committee Meeting.

This is a pity because on the agenda is an item regarding the Draft of the Babergh Development Framework Core Strategy Document, which sets out the strategic parameters for planning in the District between now and 2031.

At present the committee is simply deciding whether the document is fit to go out to consultation. However, having read it, I can see that the latest version varies quite considerably from the document that we looked at last year.

In theory at least we are no longer bound by ‘top down’ government set targets in respect of housing, and it is good to see that what is now being suggested is growth that is more or less in line with that seen in the past ten years or so. This seems much more sensible than some of the higher numbers suggested last time.

The distribution of housing growth has also altered. Although ‘town edge’ sites, it is suggested, should continue to take the largest part of development, there is less emphasis on making any village that happens to have facilities larger as a matter of course. Instead a complex mapping exercise has been undertaken which shows which villages are used as service centres by others. These are now called ‘core villages’, and others ‘hinterland villages’. Under this new categorisation Great Waldingfield and Acton are no longer regarded as ‘core’, since although they do have some facilities (a shop, a school) they are not generally used as centres by people coming from elsewhere.

Our nearest core villages are Lavenham and Long Melford, and, as far as I understand it they will be subject to fewer restrictions on development.

Because development will be more widely spread around the villages than previously envisaged, Acton and Great Waldingfield could be asked to take rather less than under the previous plan, and Little Waldingfield a little more. I hope that this outcome is at least in part due to the meeting held last year to discuss the last proposals, where residents expressed the view that future growth in the villages should be proportionate.

I am less happy with the high economic growth aspirations of the paper. I do not believe that economic growth should be the primary driver for change, over and above social and environmental factors. I would prefer to see all three given equal weight, particularly in what remains, by and large, a rural area, with low unemployment, served by two market towns. Be ‘open for business’ by all means, but an all out dash for the provision of ‘local jobs’ over and above other considerations, and the infrastructure that this would imply, is more likely to impoverish the area than to improve it.

You will have the chance to comment on the plans. Look out for notices of consultation