June County Report
In recent weeks, residents may have noticed discussions and early-stage activity around plans to install a number of 12m high telegraph poles across parts of our area.
Connexin/Internet of Things 12m High Poles Update
In recent weeks, residents may have noticed discussions and early-stage activity around plans to install a number of 12m high telegraph poles across parts of our area. Understandably, these proposals prompted concern among local communities, particularly regarding the consultation process and the visual and environmental impact of such structures.
I'm pleased to report that, following representations made by myself to SCC, and the persistence Cllr Anders Linder (Stradbroke & Laxfield) with the MSDC Planning Department, the permits that would have allowed these poles to go up have now been revoked by Suffolk Highways, county-wide. This pause will hopefully allow a full and transparent review into the planning and permissions process, ensuring future decisions are properly scrutinised and take into account both local views and planning rules.
This review is a vital opportunity to consider not just the specifics of this project, but also how infrastructure decisions are communicated and consented to in our rural and semi-rural areas. I will continue to engage actively in this process and keep residents informed.
A total of 21 poles in our area were initially permitted by Suffolk Highways on 19 May, including 9 within our Hoxne and Eye division. Fortunately, 18 of those permits were revoked before any installations took place. However, three poles, including one in Laxfield, were installed before the revocation came into effect. I will now be working closely with Laxfield Parish Council to explore what options may be available to address or potentially reverse this installation.
I shall keep parishes updated as this develops.
Proposal to create one new council for Suffolk reaches latest milestone
Work will continue on proposals to scrap Suffolk’s six councils and replace them with a new, single, fit for purpose, authority delivering all public services - after the Government encouraged further work on the plan.
The proposal, which independent analysis by accounting firm PwC shows would save over £104 million in just five years and £26 million a year thereafter, has been reviewed by the Government. The money saved could be reinvested in vital public services. Ministers have urged the proposal to be developed further ahead of the final plan being signed off in September 2025.
Councillor Richard Rout, Suffolk County Council’s cabinet member for devolution, local government reform and NSIPs, said:
“The Government is encouraging all councils in Suffolk to continue to develop proposals for reorganisation. It’s clear from their interim feedback that our single unitary council for Suffolk proposal best meets the criteria, and any alternatives will have to work hard to justify the risks of breaking up critical services like social care, creating new council boundaries and smaller population sizes.
“This is all quite apart from the significant extra cost of having more than one council. All the evidence shows that one council for Suffolk is the only viable option to deliver significant savings that can be reinvested into frontline services. In the first five years, early independent figures suggest a single council will save £104 million, while breaking Suffolk into three, as the districts and borough suggest, will cost taxpayers an additional £52 million. To be clear - their proposal would cost more than the current 50-year-old system!
“The savings from creating a single unitary council can be reinvested into frontline public services that benefit residents and ensure their council tax is as low as possible. The funding could be reinvested in services like pothole repairs, waste collection and disposal, housing, social care, planning, parks and leisure, supporting town centres, school placements and travel and street cleaning.
“But this isn’t just about money, it’s about people too. A single council will absolutely be able to reflect and serve the whole of Suffolk, rural and urban, and our plans will clearly show how local priorities and residents’ voices can and will be central to decision making.
“If we’re going to create a truly sustainable and effective council structure for Suffolk, then one new council is not just the only viable option, but also the best one.”
More than one council would cost more
Creating two or even three councils for Suffolk, including a Greater Ipswich, has also been proposed by the five district and borough councils in Suffolk. If three were created, it would mean expanding Ipswich’s current boundaries to include areas like Felixstowe, Woodbridge and possibly even Needham Market – as well as the villages in between. But having multiple councils would actually cost money, not save it, and the costs will take years to get back. A key part of this calculation is the cost of breaking up critical public services such as social care. The national report by PwC has shown that the financial cost of breaking up services into three councils would be over £150 million, not to mention the risk to vulnerable people caused by the upheaval.
Suffolk must avoid a “postcode lottery” of services and create one new council
Creating a new, single council for Suffolk will eliminate the risks of a postcode lottery of essential and life-saving public services, the Leader of Suffolk County Council, Cllr. Matthew Hicks, has said today.
Speaking at the county council’s Annual General Meeting, Cllr Hicks criticised proposals to create two or even three councils – which he argued would lead to “artificial borders” within the county. He said:
“Any suggestion of disaggregating or creating artificial divisions within this single market—leading to a postcode lottery in care services or pitting one side of the county against another—is not something we should pursue with any seriousness. The only option is for one Suffolk, and this is coming over loud and clear as we talk with people across our county.
“Now is not the time to create postcode lotteries of essential services, with authorities squabbling over finite pools of financial and human resources.”
He emphasised that Suffolk had secured the opportunity to choose a bold new future that generations can be proud of and warned about throwing this opportunity away. He said:
“We cannot afford to throw this opportunity away by choosing to recreate multiple layers of bureaucracy and complexity, with unnecessary multiple local authorities. We cannot risk the disaggregation and dismemberment of our adult social care services from the essential economies of scale it needs to continue to provide good quality care and support services to our most vulnerable residents. We cannot afford to throw away hundreds of millions of pounds of efficiency savings which could be used to invest further in essential services.”
Closing his speech, Cllr Hicks recommitted himself, and his administration, to lead Suffolk through to a bold new future, saying:
"Now is the time for visionary leadership. This council has a responsibility to get this right for the people of Suffolk, to create a future that we and future generations can be proud of - and that’s what this administration will do.”
You can read his full speech and watch the full council meeting on the councils’ YouTube channel.
Council cites numerous concerns as it formally objects to north Suffolk solar farm plans
The 250-megawatt solar farm and battery energy storage system will be spread out over 1,500 acres at multiple sites in the parishes of Occold, Eye, Brome and Oakley, Stuston, Thrandeston, Mellis, Burgate, Thornham Parva, Gislingham and Yaxley.
The report outlines many concerns, including:
Numerous parcels of Grade 2 agricultural land to be lost
Significant impacts on multiple communties and sensitive habitats and landscapes, such as Mellis Common
Numerous sites of high archaeological sensitivity
Cable corridors causing irreversible damage
“Frankly, there are serious questions about whether [this scheme] should ever have seen the light of day.”
Councillor Richard Rout, Suffolk County Council’s Cabinet Member for Devolution, Local Government Reform and NSIPs
Furthermore, the county council strongly recommends that EcoPower publishes an interim design report by the end of June 2025. This would provide refined plans in light of further assessment work to be conducted, and the responses to this non-statutory consultation.
This would go some way to providing reassurance and clarity regarding the proposals to the local community. It will also allow all concerned to review more details, in timely fashion, ahead of the statutory consultation expected later this year.
Councillor Richard Rout, Suffolk County Council’s Cabinet Member for Devolution, Local Government Reform and NSIPs, said:
“My primary concern remains for the many local communities, who are already feeling the direct impact of the proposals of this scheme – which hasn’t even been given approval, let alone been built. Frankly, there are serious questions about whether it should ever have seen the light of day.
“It seems that the aim of this project is for it to be delivered as fast as possible, encouraged by the government’s unrealistic obsession to decarbonise the grid by 2030.”
Suffolk County Council recently expressed its concerns in response to government proposals concerning reforms to the Planning and Infrastructure Bill.
One of the proposals is to remove the duty on project promoters to consult and engage with communities before a project is presented to the Planning Inspectorate. Further, the duty to have regard to any comments on voluntary consultations undertaken by a promoter is also proposed to be removed.
Councillor Richard Rout continues:
“In many ways, this EcoPower proposal can be a litmus test for how well communities are, or I fear aren’t, engaged with.
“Even before government’s latest plans to eliminate public engagement, this solar farm project was going to be running on the least amount of consultation possible.
“It is in EcoPower’s gift to work with local authorities, communities and organisation, beyond what is demanded of them by the current planning process. However, as a council our firm objection to projects that remove any of Suffolk’s best quality agricultural from food production, remains steadfast.”
EcoPower anticipates running its statutory consultation in Autumn 2025.
It’s time to shine the light on communities in Suffolk
The Suffolk Community Awards 2025 will recognise and celebrate all those who have improved the quality of life for communities across Suffolk.
The Suffolk Community Awards, now in its sixth year, is brought together by Community Action Suffolk, Suffolk County Council and Suffolk Association of Local Councils.
This year’s award ceremony is set to be another prestigious, heart-warming event showcasing the excellent work and achievements of individuals and groups across Suffolk, being recognised by 18 awards, including a new entry which will recognise one local councils’ response to climate change.
Other award categories range from youth participation and young person of the year to community building, contribution to volunteering, most active communities and council, councillor, young councillor and clerk of the year.
Nominations are now open and must be made by Sunday 13 July at www.suffolkcommunityawards.co.uk
Once received, all nominations are carefully considered and judged by an expert panel before being announced at the award ceremony which will take place on Tuesday 23 September from the Museum of Food in Stowmarket. The event will be hosted by former BBC Radio Suffolk breakfast presenter, Mark Murphy MBE.
David Hepper, Winner of last year’s Councillor of the Year, said:
“I have always tried to involve myself in the various concerns in the village, because I firmly believe that by doing so you get much more out of life – to be part of a community, rather than just being a resident. Being a Parish Councillor is part of that, and it was flattering to be recognised, and the award gave me confidence that I must be doing something right.”
The Suffolk Community Awards event organisers said in a joint comment:
“Volunteers, community leaders and organisations across Suffolk are the beating heart of the county. Their hard work, dedication and innovation makes Suffolk a better place to live and work. Our 3 organisations greatly value the massive contribution that the voluntary and community sector makes to our wonderful county. That is why we work together to host these awards. To recognise and celebrate their outstanding contribution to Suffolk life.”
Councillor Philip Faircloth-Mutton, cabinet member for Equality and Communities at Suffolk County Council, said:
“I am incredibly proud that Suffolk County Council is once again supporting the Suffolk Community Awards.
“These awards are a vital opportunity to shine a light on the remarkable efforts of our volunteers, community leaders, and local organisations. Their dedication continues to make Suffolk a fantastic place to live and work, and it’s a privilege to recognise their exceptional contributions to our communities.”
To make a nomination for the Suffolk Community Awards, go to www.suffolkcommunityawards.co.uk
Dementia Marketplace 2025
On Wednesday 25th June 2025, Care Development East, in partnership with Suffolk County Council and the Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care Board (SNEE ICB), will host the third annual Dementia Marketplace—a free, one-day event offering practical advice, support, and information for anyone affected by dementia.
Held from 10:00am to 3:30pm at Trinity Park Conference & Events Centre, Ipswich.
Dementia is the UK’s biggest health and social care challenge—and it’s growing. One in three people born in the UK today will develop dementia in their lifetime. By 2040, 1.4 million people are expected to be living with the condition. Early diagnosis is key—it unlocks treatment, support, and care that can make a real difference.
What to Expect:
Marketplace – Information and advice from over 40 dementia-related services and support groups
Expert Speaker Sessions – Short, accessible talks throughout the day
Innovation Room – New for 2025, come see, and try out a range of equipment and digital care technology to help keep people as safe and independent for as long as possible. It will also include the launch of Reverie a new cutting-edge Virtual Reality (VR) app designed with and for people with dementia featuring customised Suffolk film content
Supervised Activities Room – A safe space for people with dementia while carers explore the event
Opening at 10:00am with a short welcome from:
Gareth Everton, Executive Director for Adult Social Care
Eugene Staunton, Deputy Director, SNEE ICB
Speaking about the Dementia Marketplace's return, Cllr Beccy Hopfensperger, Cabinet Member for Adult Care said:
“I am pleased to see the Dementia Marketplace return this year, as it is an important event that truly showcases the incredible support available for people living with dementia, as well as their families and carers. With an ageing population here in Suffolk, it is absolutely essential that we continue to do all we can to help people find the support they need to live well with dementia—and events like this play a key role in making that happen.”
Event Details:
Venue: Trinity Park, Ipswich, IP3 8UH
Date: Wednesday 25th June 2025
Time: 10:00am – 3:30pm (drop-in)
Entry is free, please book your ticket today via Eventbrite.