John Whyman's District Councillor Report :October 2026
I can’t resist a quick ‘mini celebration’ at a nice bit of rain as I’m writing now… Its just such a big thing for both the gardeners amongst us, but also our farmers who are facing yet another desperately dry autumn. I watched my farming neighbour yesterday drilling wheat and rolling followed by a dust cloud more suited to the Australian outback...!
Following a fairly busy September, October has turned into an exercise for Babergh to get our towns, parish’s and their respective councillors up to speed with the numerous changes to planning and budgetary legislation that we now find ourselves reacting to and dealing with. It’s an important part of our ‘job’ to make sure we can identify key points in national legislation and make sure we deliver good and well-informed pieces and updates to our communities. We will be delivering a ‘Town and Parish’ liaison group meeting on the 20th October which you, as parish councillors, are cordially invited. For those that haven’t attended previously, it’s a good opportunity to meet fellow parish councillors and get a really face to face update on the various issues affecting the district.
I was very sad and disappointed we had to close the Kingfisher swimming pool in Sudbury recently. I know there has been much comment on social media and in the press following closure of the pool. Part of my role at Babergh is oversight of property of which Kingfisher is a part. For residents and members who either use Kingfisher now or have in the past, I’d like to reassure you that we could do nothing else but close the pool. Not to do so would have been fraught with serious safety issues and, potentially, catastrophic consequences in the event of failure of the ‘under croft’. The pool building has already ‘outlived’ its expected lifespan albeit we hoped for more. I, along with our cabinet and officer team, had allocated a capital budget of just under £1m to be spent on maintaining and keeping the pool going for another 5+ years whilst we look for and consider capital funding for a replacement facility. Please don’t think this subject has somehow been ‘kicked into the long grass’ – it wasn’t.
Following my comments last month on the LGR position. A district council election will now (subject to no further UK Gov intervention) be held in May 2027. It will be my intention to put myself forward for a second term as your district councillor and representative on Babergh District Council. I’m mindful there are many residents that I’ve never met or may be unfamiliar with my work for and on behalf of Capel St Mary. Between now and May, in addition to my resident’s surgery, I intend to hold an ‘Open Evening’ for residents to have the opportunity to ask questions of me and provide feedback on where and how they feel the community is developing and changes we might like to embrace. I’d be interested to receive their comments and views via e mail, in the meantime, on john.whyman@babergh.gov.uk I’d also like to extend an invitation to parish council members to a feedback session looking at ‘past performance’ and our future trajectory, in terms of, what we could do with more of and our joint visions for the future. I accept this could be a ‘turkeys voting for Christmas’ kind of thing, but if its not working for you, its probably not working for me and that’s not healthy for either of us..!
Members may be aware of the planning enforcement actions we have been undertaking on the land to the rear of the A12 Esso Garage/Paddocks. The landowners are now making a planning application to potentially, regularise, this matter. For your information and, once the application has been validated, it will appear on our planning portal as follows: DC/26/04082 - Demolition of an existing dwelling, access improvements, erection of loading bay, change of use of existing dwelling to Site manager’s office, change of use of an equestrian paddock to open air storage (Class B8) and associated hard and soft landscaping. The application will also be considered by yourselves. Residents can make representations to both the yourselves and, additionally, onto our planning portal.
I’m asking Capel residents for feedback on how many use the car parks in Hadleigh and what they think of the car parking tariff’s.....? This is a ‘no holes barred’ kind of conversation with residents, I’ve asked them to e mail me with their essential thoughts, but not to shoot the messenger…!
Finally, I’ve made a ‘call out’ to residents that may be ‘private landlords. I’d be interested to know if they may have been contacted by BDC in relation to their property/properties. Again, I’ve asked for an e mail response or turn up to my resident’s surgery.
No words from anyone much, if at all recently, on waste collection. I assume from this its working as well as can be expected at this stage?
Babergh Notes
The district wide monthly update, covering most of what’s happening in Babergh can be found here – Download Babergh’s town and parish briefing notes on the council’s website. planning
Babergh District Council Planning Committee hasn’t met in the latter part of September. We are undergoing an intense period of ‘training’ to bring committee members up to date with the implications for NPPF 2026.
The BMSDC Overview and Scrutiny committee will met on the 14th September. We will be considered the Joint Council Housing Assurance Report.
As ever, I remain open to any members who would like to be briefed on specific anonymised examples of the council’s work, in this area, please let me know. These meetings are also open to both parish councillors and members of the public wishing to attend either in person or online.
District Councillor Resident Surgeries
My regular meeting opportunity for residents will continue to be held in The Vine Lounge on Tuesday 13th October 9.30 – 11.30 and again on Tuesday 10th November, then on into December on Tuesday 15th December.
John (Whyman) Cllr - Babergh District Council Member – Capel St. Mary