Report for Box Vale Ward from Cllr Bryn Hurren March 2024.
We are, I am sure, all hoping for some nice spring weather soon and an end to all the storms, gales, torrential rains and floods that the very noticeable changes in our climate are bringing. This means we will also have to make serious changes to the way we live and where we travel, also to the way we farm and what we grow and eat and to the sort of future the next generation will have. The first serious changes are here now and the progression in extremes of weather patterns will worsen as time goes by to the worry and detriment of all. Babergh Midsuffolk are trying hard to include measures and policies into all we do to reduce the carbon we produce and to change planning policies to protect and help our residents.
It is also very likely at some time this year; we will have a national election across all of the UK to decide which and what sort of government will take us forward or in another direction for the next five years. I would first beg everyone across this district and throughout the whole UK to register to vote and under the new recently enacted laws to have I.D. to do so. It is quite shocking that the people we might want most to cast their vote to enact fairness and change for the future will find it hardest to cast their vote and may be prevented from doing so.
I will make sure that the new rules to enable all to vote will be well publicised and circulated.
It has to be right that all who have lived through the past dozen years should have the opportunity to pass judgment on the politicians, who through a waning responsibility and sometimes outright dishonesty and those appointed by them, such as shareholders to run utilities on our behalf who have been responsible for the increasing decrease in public services and the steep decline in our prospects for the future.
It cannot be good for a nation also that others have profited so massively from hardships inflicted upon the vast majority of ordinary folk just trying to exist and get by.
Local Government Such as Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Councils are also suffering from lack of funding to keep all services running and although we are comparatively well run and not tied down by political dogma and claptrap, we are up against the wire now and struggling to set a fair and balanced budget, we are likely to have to draw from dwindling reserves to make ends meet as after weeks of anguish and agonizing with the sums, we know that our electorate will suffer if we cut anything that we do.
Local government is still of vital importance and relied upon by all to do the important stuff right at the coalface, which is what is valued the most because it is accessible to the people and families most in need. Local government, staff and its councillors do things for its people, unlike current national government who do things to its people and take away what they already have and massively increase the cost of what is left.
The Village of Boxford is as I write this having its annual spring clean, this will be carried out by the council’s own public realm team, with local volunteers chipping in with self help wherever they can, the first and continuing phase will be hand cleaning and sweeping the road edges, ready for our mechanical sweeper to come into action and sweep all the highways as clean as can be achieved. The problem here is that we have lots of street parked cars which hamper the access by the mechanical sweeper getting to the street edge and pavements, however volunteers will do their best to politely request cars be moved to other spots to allow teams access for the clean-up. I will also be organising a village litter pick on the weekend before Easter, which is 23rd/24th March. If anybody can manage a few hours across that weekend, either with others as part of a team or on their own to help get the job done, I and the village will be very grateful for anyone’s help, great or small.
I will be personally organizing a litter pick along the 1071 from end of Calais St to A 134 junction on the Sunday 24th March, this is the only possible day to do this job, due to heavy traffic. Please anyone willing to help with that, contact myself and I will organize teams coming from each direction to meet towards the middle, also picking tools, litter bags and florescent jackets, best not to do that alone, safety in numbers here. Early start for that one, 9.00.am. before the traffic builds up. Sorry.
We are coming up to the annual spring parish meetings throughout all my six parishes that make up the Box Vale District Ward. They will be well published in these pages and are open to all parishioners young and old, if anyone has an idea to improve, enhance or see something that is just plain wrong then come and plead, praise or moan gently to effect change. We are so lucky to live where we do but everything can be made better if we talk about it and work together. If it is something private, then please have a quiet word after and I will do what I can to help.
Hopefully when I write next month’s report, we may know the outcome of the Sandhill Planning Appeal, we certainly hope for a positive outcome that represents the views of 95% of the village and can then build upon that to provide homes and infrastructure for all the inhabitants of the village and those of the next generation to follow.
Please take care everyone, our journey is going to be a rough and tough one into the future but we do at least still have the democratic power of the ballot box to enact change for ourselves.
All Best Wishes for the upcoming spring, and please grab me if you need me (nicely please)
Bryn.hurren@babergh.gov.uk tel 01787 210854 mob 07771 508348