Latest thoughts from Capel councillor John Whyman
District Councillor Report (July 2025)
Dear Residents,
In June, I told you we had a new Council Chair - Cllr Ruth Hendry. Since then, our cabinet member for Housing has had to step down for personal reasons and Ruth has now stepped into the Housing cabinet role which, I’m very confident, she will excel at. Our previously outgoing Council Chair, Cllr Elizabeth Malvisi, has stepped back into her old role, with great experience. Our new Council Vice Chair is Cllr Lee Parker and one of my Liberal Democrat colleagues. With the advent of LGR (Local Government Re-organisation), our focus is to maintain cabinet stability and some degree of continuity in our direction and decision making.
Following the recent ‘Spending Review’ undertaken by UK Gov, we have sustained a couple of unexpected and financially damaging blows from policy areas we weren’t expecting from a Labour government with a strong ‘Green’ agenda and an almost fanatical desire to build more homes (Just getting planning permissions granted doesn’t mean you get affordable or ‘needed’ homes built). I’m a supporter of our transition to carbon-neutrality and a fervent advocate of great Neighbourhood Planning, allowing our communities to make well informed and balanced decisions as to how they want the villages and towns to look and feel like. UK Gov have achieved nothing by these decisions and, in my opinion, done the reverse by removing ‘trigger funding’ and confidence from our parishes and town’s. As many of you know, BDC remain fully behind the NP process and will do, whatever it takes, to continue supporting our communities on this journey. As a ‘starter for 10’ our portfolio holder for planning and infrastructure, Sallie Davies and council leader, John Ward, have created a full council motion on 24th June setting out our district wide position and will be writing to UK Gov setting out our defined position. Whether any heed is given to our motion is, of course, another matter – but it’s a start…!
On Neighbourhood Planning across the communities Cllr Dave (Busby) and I serve, we have NP’s in various stages of completion. Some more forward than others. It’s so important we don’t allow this change in funding support to deflect or distract our ambitions as the ‘end game’ of the strength that a well-developed and informed NP gives to a community is crucial in helping shape the built environment.
As I mentioned in my June report, BMSDC remains firmly committed to ensuring local communities get a full hearing on the governments new Mayoral Authority for Norfolk & Suffolk. We consulted directly with Capel Parish Council in a meeting attended by CSM PC Clerk, Julie Lawes and most of the PC members, BDC Leader, John Ward, BMSDC Director, Sara Wilcock and me on the 20th of June. I’m pleased to confirm we had a really good conversation with lots of questions, some had answers, others were more along the lines of we will have to see which version of LGR UK Gov finally signs off. Our ambition, for all our communities, is the 2 or 3 unitary model that will allow local government to remain ‘local’, such that we can continue to support our residents and, hopefully in time, create a more efficient delivery model combining services currently provided at district and county level. It would be unrealistic to somehow imagine it’s a ‘money saving exercise’ it simply isn’t possible based upon the current funding allocations to districts and county. I continue to urge residents to engage with our survey (www.babergh.gov.uk/devolution-and-lgr) – we will close it on 25th July, so still plenty of time to let us know your views – We will read every response, we really need to know what you think, so don’t imagine we aren’t listening, we are..!!
Babergh Notes
Babergh planning committee hasn’t met to determine any larger or controversial applications in June. It gives a bit of a feeling on the state of the development market at present. We did, however, take the opportunity to have a training and review day with all planning committee members and councillors that substitute for committee members. This allowed officers to provide the most up to date technical data to members on changes to the NPPF (National Planning Policy Framework) since the changes imposed by UK Gov in their December ministerial statement. We also considered our decision making and determinations at both officer (delegated) and committee level against appeals made to HMPI and our success rate, which remains extremely high. Our next meeting is due to take place on the 9th July.
The BMSDC Overview and Scrutiny committee met on the 16th June to undertake the review of the CIFCO business plan. I couldn’t sit on the O&S committee, on this occasion, due to a conflict of interest with my role as a CIFCO director. I was on the other side of the table responding to questioning… BDC Overview and Scrutiny met on the 19th June to consider the BDC Green House Gas report. Our next meeting will take place on the 14th July to review the Western Safety Partnership annual 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 in the library will be Tuesday 8th July 9.30 – 11.00 noon. There will be no parish council meeting in August, and I will be away on annual holiday so, no residents surgery. The forward date for September will be Tuesday 9th September 9.30 – 11.00am. I’ve met such a lovely and kind group of residents over the last couple of years – Please don’t hesitate to call in, even if only for a chat….?
No appointment is necessary, but if residents need more of a confidential conversation, please let me know beforehand so I can arrange some privacy. I’m also available ‘on demand’ at the PC office in conjunction with Julie. In the event of a meeting ‘emergency’ – please let Julie (Capel PC Clerk & RFO) know and she can get word to me such that I can respond.
John (Whyman) Cllr - Babergh Council Member – Capel St. Mary
Mobile: 07928 512597