Section 106 funding for new skate park

It was good to hear on Monday night at the Bildeston Parish Council meeting that the Parish Council has managed to use Section  106 moneys ,along with other funding, to provide a skate park for young people in the village.  It seems that the facility will be situated on the recreation ground that is a  little way away from homes and so will not prove a nuisance to residents. Long standing readers of this website may remember that Acton  Parish Council’s plans for an all-weather sports pitch were frustrated some years ago by the failure to find an appropriate site that was sufficiently far from people’s homes.

Spending Section 106 money for recreational facilities and open space often proves difficult for communities.

This sort of funding is provided by all developers of new homes.  It goes towards a number of purposes, including a sum to compensate the community for the loss of open space and recreational amenity.  Babergh holds pots of money of varying sizes for this purpose on behalf of many parishes in the District.

However, the rules on how the money can be spent are quite restrictive.  The money cannot, for example, be used for the refurbishment of old equipment or tidying up existing playing fields.  It must be spent on something new. If no use for the funds can be found within a certain period the money must be returned to the developer.  Sadly, working up a scheme that falls within the regulations can often tax the ingenuity of the community, and sometimes proves impossible.

Section 106 arrangements will be changing with the introduction of the Community Infrastructure Levy which falls on a wider range of developments.  Babergh is, I understand, working on the introduction of a CIL scheme, after which time Section 106 charges on new development is likely to be more restricted.

Unveiling Gainsborough's Statue

The statue unveiled

Celebrations to mark the centenary of the unveiling of the statue of Thomas Gainsborough took place on the Market Hill in Sudbury yesterday afternoon.

It was a happy event, and fortunately the rain stayed away.

A good deal of the ceremony mirrored the original event when Princess Louise, a daughter of Queen Victoria, came to the town to unveil the statue.  As occurred in 1913, the statue was only unveiled at the second attempt, the line breaking during the first.

Sculptor and Princess Louise

In a departure from the original programme, yesterday's proceedings were unexpectely interrupted by the arrival of a group of suffragettes, marking the fact perhaps that two days before the ceremony in 1913, Emily Davison was killed when she threw herself under the King's horse at the Derby.

After the ceremony Gainsborough's House stayed open until 8 p.m.. A number of people visited us,  including this group of Scouts, who had lined the 'processional route' earlier.

Parish Councils and emergency planning

I have been having an interesting and enjoyable time visiting each of the Parish Councils in the Cosford Division.  Every meeting is in some ways like all the others, but at the same time each council has a different atmosphere and approach.  Size does not seem to be the main criteria.   The smallest councils can sometimes be very business-like, the largest very relaxed, and this seems right since different organisations have to find their own approach to getting things done.

Different parishes are of course focussing on different issues. I was very impressed when I went to my first parish council meeting at Monks Eleigh by the first class emergency plan that the council had prepared.  I was not surprised therefore to learn that the village was among ten in the Babergh area that have received recognition for its efforts in this area.

At a special event in Lavenham last week the council received a prize from M.P. Tim Yeo which comprised a starter kit with all the necessary tools for an emergency.  Tim gave a speech about the 2008 Cabinet Office’s community resilience programme, which introduced community emergency plans.

The thing that struck me when looking at the Monks Eleigh document was that creating a register of all the people in the community with the skills to help in an emergency is a  useful exercise in a broader sense.   Sharing this knowledge could well make a difference, not just in a major crisis, but in other situations where help is urgently required.

I would urge other Parishes to think about creating a localised emergency plan.  It goes without saying that it will be invaluable in the event of a full scale emergency..  It is also an excellent way of gathering vital information about residents’ skills, supporting community resilience generally, and is another way to for residents to get involved with local life.

Any parish that is interested in putting together a local emergency plan should contact

Emergencyplanning@midsuffolk.gov.uk or call Sue Herne on 01449 724851

A flower festival with a difference

Borley Church

Over the weekend of Saturday and Sunday 22^nd and 23^rd June there will be a flower festival with a difference at Borley Church, just over the border into Essex.

The theme of the festival will be ‘A country garden wedding’ and, in addition to floral displays, wedding dresses dating from 1948 to the present day will be on show.  The organisers are also hoping to locate some photographs of weddings from the time of World War ll .  Perhaps you may be able to help?

The Church is an interesting one, with Saxon roots.  It has connections with Thomas Gainsborough.  His mother’s brother, Humphrey Burrough, was rector here between 1727 and 1738 and he has a memorial in front of the altar. He was the headmaster at Sudbury Grammar School, which was attended by the young artist.  His son, Nathanial, was a high class grocer in London who later retired to Sudbury and built the first Belle Vue House..

The Church is very much ‘on the map’ for those who like ghost hunting, since there is a long history of strange sightings at the church and the nearby formerly rectory (now demolished).

On Saturday between 11 a.m. and 5.30 tea and cakes will be available in the village hall.  The Church only will be open between 2 and 6 p.m. on Sunday.

Proceeds will go towards the restoration of the church roof.

All of South Suffolk a Stage

A production at Kentwell

Lovers of Shakespeare will not have to travel far this summer to enjoy a wide choice of entertainment.

On 21^st June there is a choice of two popular comedies. 

In Cockfield , The Rain or Shine Theatre Company will be presenting  Comedy of Errors in the grounds of Cockfield School.  Proceeds are in aid of St Peter’s Church Cockfield, and the performance will be indoors if the weather is bad.  For tickets and other details please phone 01284 828904, or 828652.

Just over the border into Essex, Stanley Hall, which is taking a break from opera production this year, is staging As You like it, presented by the Lord Chamberlain’s Men.  The Hall is on the way from Sudbury to Halstead and details can be found here

On 25^th, 26^th and 27^th July, the Lavenham Players will stage Much Ado About Nothing in the grounds of Lavenham Hall .  In addition to three evening performances, there is a matinee on 27^th July.  Picnickers are welcome at all performances.   Tickets for some dates are available from the Quay Theatre Box office in Sudbury, but for full details click here

The same weekend Kentwell Hall in Long Melford is welcoming back the accomplished GB Theatre Company with two productions, The Merchant of Venice and A Midsummers Night Dream.

Finally for those of us who like something musical, also at Kentwell, on Saturday 27^th July, the South Anglia Savoy Players are presenting The Sorcerer, one of Gilbert and Sullivan’s less well know creations.

Details of the Kentwell Hall events can be found here

Those wanting to see some Shakespeare on 21^st June will need to make a difficult choice between the two plays on offer.   I think however that it would be possible to see both the Lavenham show and all the Kentwell productions, with careful planning, in July.

Allotments should be encouraged, not sold off.

A couple of days ago I was telephoned by a resident who is interested in renting an allotment in Acton.  In Acton allotments are the responsibility of the Parish Council and so I put him in touch with one of the councillors from whom he could make further enquiries.  I fear, however, that he will not find himself the proud tenant of an allotment very soon since I believe that there is currently a waiting list.

Allotments have become much more popular now than they were a few years ago.  When I became a Trustee of the Braithwaite Trust, which looks after the two groups of allotments in Great Waldingfield, some six years ago there were a few vacant plots.  At that time new tenants were being sought from as far away as Sudbury.   This has all changed.   Higher living costs and also the appreciation that growing your own often allows you to enjoy fresher, better food have both contributed to  renewed enthusiasm for allotment holding.  In addition, people appreciate that fresh air, sunlight and gardening is very good for health, and there is the additional social benefit of getting to know fellow allotment holders.

To meet high levels of anticipated demand, Chilton Parish Council have been very keen to see a good number of allotments provided on the Chilton Woods Development.  We have lobbied hard for a higher allocation of land for this purpose with both of the prospective developers of the site.  At present, of course, the project is on hold, but when another developer emerges, we will be seeking to achieve the provision of a substantial patch of land dedicated to vegetable and fruit growing.

I was depressed to read an article in the Guardian yesterday (link here), saying that some local authorities are seeking to balance their budgets by selling their allotment land for building development.  Allotment holders are offered land elsewhere, but this is often very inferior to the plots that they have worked for many years, and in which they have invested a huge amount of time and energy.

Councils should realise that allotment holding serves a number of useful functions.  It not only encourages local food production and supports social cohesion, it also enhances people's fitness and wellbeing.   Now that the Government has given local authorities additional responsibility for the health of their residents I find it hard to see how selling allotments off in this way can be justified.