Box Vale Report for February 2025 from Cllr Bryn Hurren.

It has not escaped my notice that a couple of the more extreme, or maybe desperate of the current political parties, have been flooding the Box Vale Ward with their own versions of the world as they see it. Just to put the record straight, Babergh DC is run very well by a coalition of Independent, Lib Dem and Green elected Councillors currently led by my neighbouring friend and independent councillor John Ward. We currently work very well together and although some of course have a misplaced ambition for their own future, it is certainly hoped that this coalition will see out the current elected term until 2027/28.                                                                          

Such incursions into wards currently held by other colleagues have proven to be very confusing for constituents with some of the misleading and false statements, as well as disrespectful for those who are currently working hard to achieve the very best they can for their residents. Why not wait for the election to be officially called and on what boundaries, then decide on what we can do to help all our residents even more than we do now and seek election on that basis at a public vote on a date to be decided.

Now that the mayoral elections have been postponed for two years, maybe to just proceed the unitary elections in the following year, it is widely now presumed that we will revert back to County and Police and Crime Commissioner elections on the existing borders this coming May for CC and May 27 for PCC, however the current government has written to all Councils affected offering them the option of deferment for two years.                    This would be very undemocratic and would not be welcomed by the voting public, nor this elected Councillor who values the democratic right of my constituents to pass judgement on what has gone and is yet to be delivered.    

Also worth noting that all elections in South Suffolk are run by our District Council (Babergh) whether they be Parliamentary, County, District or Parish and we are ready to go, we have everything in place, including funding, ballot boxes, staff already contracted, polling clerks and a head of election services champing at the bit. Bring them ON. Have no fear of democracy, it usually sorts the wheat from the chaff.

At the current District Council, we are getting to the end of our budget setting process and do in fact have a little extra funding from the government to help offset the lack of funding we have received or indeed been able to raise ourselves during these past few years, I had hoped that we could use some of this to offset the wicked business rates that are levied on our car parks by the present and previous governments, it seems that this is unlikely to happen as the monies are needed for so many other things. These car parks were set up by BDC as a means of helping businesses in our market towns and larger villages with easy stop offs to run into town for a local shop and business visit and I would have liked that to continue.

I have had good success this month by helping to champion and drag a little planning application for a self-build eco house though our dogmatic and cumbersome planning system.  In a system that is dominated by large developers and housebuilders, it is so nice to see a personal single application for a single passive house with an environmental on-site business get permission for a local family who want this to be their forever home. Maybe something that can be repeated in my other villages. We have to now build 775 houses per year across Babergh, so why not some futuristic eco ones to teach us how we can live into the future for the next generation.              

Also have managed to enact an extension on a current social house to enable an existing family to carry on living there into the future despite their changing needs, this seems to have taken over two years but well worth it to see the families joy as it nears completion and they all get back to normality within their increased space.  On the other 774, we are now allowed to ask for solar energy to be fitted from the outset and we must now make sure we do that, a fall back to fossil fuels should just not be contemplated, we now have heat pumps that actually work efficiently and superb double glazing that will soon be capable of generating power cheaply to be stored.            

Please don’t be too concerned about the high numbers, these can be absorbed into our current Local Plan and will be spread across the area with an emphasis on larger towns and core villages where we have Brownfield and edge of built-up area sites.This could help growth for schools and businesses but must come with accommodating infrastructure, not crammed on greenfield sites without thought and consultation for existing residents.               If anyone has a strong view or wants to get involved or help in any way, then please get in touch, I am here to help and to listen to your views.

As widely promoted by BDC, we have to implement the new recycling demands of government in early summer and I will be discussing this more rigorously in the coming months and see if we can get more publicity into the BRN to make all residents aware. Not sure this is applicable for rural area, but it seems we have no choice but to go with it.

If you need your councillor, please get in touch by usual methods, will be happy to help.

bryn.hurren@babergh.gov.uk   Tel 07771 508348.

Keep safe and Well.  Bryn