News from Suffolk Coastal

This Saturday’s planned Skate Jam in Woodbridge has been cancelled but young people have been urged to keep an eye out for future events.

The end of October will see nearly 6,500 more homes being added onto Suffolk Coastal’s improved recycling service and the invites have already gone out to attend one of a series of information roadshows that start next week.

Suffolk Coastal’s Leader has revealed that the Council is pressing ahead with plans to propose a three-way split of Suffolk that would keep Felixstowe and Kesgrave in a new East Suffolk unitary council.

Nearly 60,000 forms are being sent out to homes across the district to help update the electoral register and Suffolk Coastal is urging all residents to either send them back or go online and do it all at a push of a button.

Environmental health officers are warning residents that a national alert has been issued by the Food Standards Agency about bottles of counterfeit vodka that have been found to have excessive levels of methanol which could cause ill-health.

At the closure of nominations, 11 candidates had come forward for the three by-elections that will be held on Thursday, September 18 to fill the vacant seats on Suffolk Coastal District Council, Woodbridge Town Council and Suffolk County Council.

Three more parts of the district now have designation orders in effect from today (August 18) to help police deal with local problems caused by people drinking in the streets.

Residents are being asked to consider the benefits of a new waste minimisation campaign that has been launched to encourage people to cut down on the estimated one-third of food that is bought but just thrown away uneaten.

A special meeting is being held on Tuesday about Woodbridge skatepark as the countdown begins to when it can welcome its first set of keen users.

A date has been set for the by-elections to fill the vacant seats on Suffolk Coastal District Council, Woodbridge Town Council and Suffolk County Council and nominations are now being sought from potential candidates.

To help mark the countdown to the London 2012 Olympic Games, a fun doubles tennis tournament is being held on Sunday, August 24 in Felixstowe at one of the district’s training facilities that are set to be used by overseas competitors.

Comments are wanted from all sections of the community to the draft Sustainable Community Strategy that sets out the priorities and vision for the district from now until 2021.

Bored youngsters in the Suffolk Coastal area can net themselves a real treat this month by reeling in a great fishing offer from the Council and the Environment Agency.

The Leader of Suffolk Coastal has warned residents not to be hoodwinked by claims that just one council for the whole of Suffolk would be the cheapest option as the Boundary Committee for England (BCE) reviews local government in the county.

The Conservative candidate won yesterday’s (Thursday) by-election at Witnesham which was called following June’s resignation of Kate Waddell because of increasing work commitments.

The decision by Suffolk Coastal to refuse a premises licence for a planned three day Americana and country music festival at Easton Farm Park has forced the promoter to put on a much smaller-scale event.

Cedarwood Green basketball court and football pitch will celebrate its first birthday in style on Wednesday, August 13 with a free day of fun and activities for all ages.

Suffolk Coastal residents are being asked to continue to put out their refuse and recycling on their normal days this week, even though a few collections are running late following the recent Unison strike action.

Around 2,000 people enjoyed the Xtremefest experience on Sunday (July 27) when Felixstowe’s Brackenbury Fort hosted the one-day free event promoting and celebrating alternative sports, beach activities and healthy living.

Signs have now been erected at Slaughden Quay car park to advise drivers of motor homes/motorised caravans that they may no longer use the sea wall in a move that is intended to protect the area.

This Sunday sees Felixstowe hosting its second Xtremefest, and people can find out all the latest about this special one-day free event promoting celebrating alternative sports, beach activities and healthy living by visiting www.xtremefest.org.uk

The rumours that the Prime Minister could be spending part of his holidays at Walberswick has prompted Suffolk Coastal to send him some of their latest publications to help him plan his break.

Butterflies will be at the centre of celebrations to mark the successful efforts that have seen 10 hectares of countryside being officially designated as Local Nature Reserves (LNRs) by Natural England.

Suffolk Coastal residents are being asked to put their refuse and recycling out on their normal days this week, even though collections are still being affected by the Unison strike action taken last Wednesday and Thursday.

A network of four closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras are now in place helping local police combat crime thanks to a partnership that has been backed by the Home Office.

For some youngsters, the biggest mission of the holidays is to avoid being bored, but thanks to a link-up between Suffolk Coastal and Rock Barracks Army base some 50 local youngsters have found the answer with Operation Camouflage being held from Monday, July 28 to Friday, August 1.

Domestic refuse and recycling services in Suffolk Coastal are planned to be operated as fully as possible on Wednesday, 16 July and Thursday, 17 July 2008.

More than 30 hours of memories and long-forgotten facts have been recorded among the local villagers from the communities of the Alde and Ore rivers as part of an oral history marking the changing life on the two rivers.

Felixstowe is home again to a free one-day event promoting and celebrating alternative sports, beach activities and healthy living, with this year’s Xtremefest being held at Brackenbury Fort on Sunday, July 27 from 10am to 5pm.

The public are being invited to experience all the different elements of the Ebb and Flow project at Flowfest, a free, one day event at Snape Maltings on Saturday July 19. The day will be a culmination of months of work undertaken in the community to capture the rich history of life along the rivers Alde and Ore.

Suffolk Coastal’s Leader has reacted angrily to today’s (Monday) announcement by the Boundary Committee of England (BCE) for the proposed reorganisation of Suffolk, describing the process to date as a farce.

Two candidates will be standing on Thursday, July 31 for the seat of Witnesham on Suffolk Coastal District Council which became vacant following last month’s resignation of Kate Waddell because of increasing work commitments.

A partnership of three Suffolk district councils has struck an important deal to help make collective savings of over £1 million.

The first of four closed circuit television cameras that are being installed in Felixstowe was erected yesterday (Tuesday) at the Triangle in preparation for the scheme being fully launched later this month.

Nearly 5,000 more homes are set to receive an improved recycling service this month that means paper, cans, foil, cardboard and plastic containers can be recycled every fortnight in the new blue-lidded bin.

Ben Redsell, the Independent Councillor for the Woodbridge Riverside ward of Suffolk Coastal District Council, has today stood down after submitting his resignation in writing.

Anyone organising any activities for young people this summer can get it advertised for free on the special coastalpotato.co.uk website which was set up last year by Suffolk Coastal.

A by-election is set to be called on Thursday, July 31 following the resignation of Councillor Kate Waddell from her seat representing Witnesham on Suffolk Coastal District Council.

Thanks to the efforts of those working at Suffolk Coastal’s Melton Hill offices, a bumper cheque of £1,500 is set to be made out Cancer Research UK after the latest annual charity fundraising day.

Suffolk Coastal has confirmed that it has never had any intention of preventing the bells being rung at St Peter and St Paul’s Church in Aldeburgh.

Plans to alter the way aircraft are directed to fly in eastern England are unlikely to have any significant impact on this district is the conclusion from Suffolk Coastal after seeking local views and opinions.

A special conference is being held this Saturday (June 14) at Southwold that has attracted nearly 90 local representatives who are concerned about flooding and erosion in our estuaries and on the coast.

statement about Aldeburgh church bells

Personal portable ashtrays will be given away to smokers visiting pubs and clubs in the Suffolk Coastal District over the next few weeks.

The Regional Minister for the East of England, Barbara Follett MP, saw first-hand today (Monday) the £10 million coastal defence improvement works that are underway at Felixstowe to protect 1,600 homes and businesses.

The police are set to be given the additional powers to control anti-social drinking in three more parts of the district that are worried about the impact of alcohol-fuelled behaviour.

The Regional Minister for the East of England, Barbara Follett MP, will see first-hand on Monday (June 9) the £10 million coastal defence improvement works that are underway at Felixstowe to protect 1,600 homes and businesses.

This week has seen the start of the preliminary work for the major expansion of the Port of Felixstowe which was recently given the formal planning go-ahead by Suffolk Coastal and which could create up to 1,500 new jobs in East Suffolk.

Much-needed new play equipment is set to be installed at Kemps Field in Aldeburgh after Suffolk Coastal agreed to back the project with £28,000 from its outdoor play space fund (OPSF).

Launched as part of Recycle Week, seven special pink banks are now open at venues across Suffolk Coastal giving a month-long opportunity for local women to recycle their bras.

For three days, anyone popping into Suffolk Coastal’s offices in Woodbridge on will be offered a free low-energy light bulb in return for them signing a personal carbon dioxide (CO2) reduction pledge.

Demand for a half-day training course aimed at managers of food catering businesses has proved so high that another session is on the menu on Monday, June 30.

Suffolk Coastal is urging local people, community and business organisations to voice their views now and influence the proposals that could change the way local government is organised in Suffolk.

Melton and Ufford’s councillor, Jim Bidwell officially became the district’s new first citizen after he was elected the Chairman of Suffolk Coastal District Council at its Annual Meeting last night (Thursday).

The local voice of young people wants to produce its own SCTV guide to everything on offer in Suffolk Coastal during the summer and would like to hear from anyone that is ready to take up its offer of a free listing.

The sun is currently shining down on the play and open space facilities on offer to residents of Purdis Farm but which now needs a name as its final finishing touch.

The partnership of the main public, private and voluntary organisations in Suffolk Coastal wants to hear from those who live and work in the district about what they think are the most important local issues.

There is a great opportunity next week for local young people to hone up their tennis skills and then take to the courts representing Suffolk Coastal at this July’s Suffolk Youth Games.

The innovative Ebb and Flow project is this week helping primary school children get a glimpse of the past by teaching them some of the basic craft skills of ancient times.

Owners of listed buildings and period properties are being invited to a special free information event which will advise them on how they can care and repair for them.

Suffolk Coastal hopes to be asking for views on a revised set of proposals from Bentwaters Parks Ltd for a new set of public access routes in and around the former military airfield in Rendlesham.

Next month see a half-day training course aimed at managers of food catering businesses who would like further help on how to put the systems in place in their workplace that will deliver safer food and a better business.

The Council’s three Tourist Information Centres (TICs) in Aldeburgh, Felixstowe and Woodbridge have been awarded ‘official partner’ status by Enjoy England, the country’s official tourist board.

With health and safety experts about to carry out a series of inspections across the district, there could not be a better time for local warehouse and transport companies to get some free

With Composting Awareness Week starting on Sunday, what better time is there for people to sign up for their own compost bin and join Suffolk Coastal’s massive home composting green army?

Suffolk Coastal is reminding town and parish councils that they have until May 15 to give their views and help shape the Council’s response to the plans to alter the way aircraft are directed to fly in eastern England.

Suffolk Coastal has stated its commitment to carry on working in partnership with the community to reduce the use of disposable plastic bags in the district but is also now calling on the Government to take urgent action.

Suffolk Coastal is looking for sporty youngsters to represent their district at the county's own festival of sport - the Suffolk Youth Games which is being held in Ipswich on Sunday, July 6.

A new local way for people to resolve any problems or complaints they have about their councillors will be on offer from next week.

Suffolk Coastal has pledged to give the growing number of volunteer litter pickers in the district its full support following the success of the annual Suffolk Spring Clean.

The swimming pool at Leiston Leisure Centre will reopen from 7am tomorrow morning (Friday April 25) following repairs to the gas supply at the pool.

A stretch of the promenade around the Felixstowe Sea Road area will be closed today (Monday) following the discovery of a suspected Second World War bomb on the shore which is believed to have been blown onto the beach following rough seas over the weekend.

A detailed survey carried out last year has put the spotlight on the key concerns and issues facing over 4,000 local businesses in Suffolk Coastal and its findings will be used to ensure they get more of the support they want and need.

Suffolk Coastal has today (Friday) confirmed that the appointment of its Chief Executive Stephen Baker to a shared role with Waveney District Council will immediately save each authority around £40,000.

Parents in Suffolk Coastal can help save the earth by using real nappies, with a special offer of some free sets being offered on loan from the Council’s recycling team.