News archive January to March 2007

Thanks to a partnership between the Woodbridge Town Centre Management Group (WTCMG) and Suffolk Coastal, there will be more parking spaces than ever on offer on Saturdays in the busy town.

Residents in Suffolk Coastal are being urged to keep up their recycling habits and use all the Council services on offer as the cost of disposing of rubbish will rise by another three pounds a tonne next month.

This Thursday, March 29, there is a great chance for people to find out all they need to know about tapping their home into environmentally friendly renewable energy.

From next month, Woodbridge Tourist Information Centre will be offering a really first class service to rail travellers with a big improvement in the service it offers.

The chance for people to have their voice heard is on offer on Thursday, May 3 when the local elections for 55 district councillors and over 850 town and parish councillors are due to be held.

The final batch of bus passes issued by Suffolk Coastal are being posted now and should arrive in time for elderly and disabled people across the district to claim free travel in Suffolk.

The annual inspection of Suffolk Coastal carried out by the Audit Commission has confirmed that its services are getting even better and that it has plans in place to make more improvements.

After a week that has once again seen the temporary defences protecting the district’s coastline put to the test, Suffolk Coastal is finalising its response to new Government proposals on future management of schemes.

The countdown to this year’s mini-olympics is already underway, and to help local young people sharpen their talents this Easter sees seven sessions being held across the district by Suffolk Coastal’s Active Communities Team.

The Doing Business Better partnership of legal services across Suffolk’s councils is not only delivering better, more efficient services but is also now gaining national attention after it was highly commended at a prestigious awards ceremony.

Over 4,000 businesses in the Suffolk Coastal district are seeing the latest edition of Business Bulletin drop through their letterbox, a newsletter packed with useful information.

This July sees the return of Latitude, the award-winning festival held at Henham Park, and anyone coming up with ideas on how to improve Suffolk Coastal’s CoastLine magazine could be there for free.

Contractors have gone on site to start removing the roof of the Fort Green shelter in Aldeburgh and it could cause some minor inconvenience to visitors for a fortnight.

The decorative lighting along Felixstowe’s promenade will sparkle again on a regular basis as work begins to replace the existing motif lights with new more environmentally friendly ones.

From next month it will be cheaper to park at four of Suffolk Coastal’s car parks with the introduction of a new rate of 40 pence for up to one hour, after the Council responded to calls from the public.

Get in quick is the message to members of the Suffolk Coastal arts community if they want to get on one of the Performing Arts workshops, that give help on how to perform and improvise, become a promoter, or develop youth theatre.

Suffolk Coastal’s recycling team have come up with 10 helpful tips on how everyone can play their part in minimising waste, cut down on rubbish and help the environment.

The call has gone out from Suffolk Coastal to anyone in the district aged 19 or under who is full of ideas on the type of play facilities that they would like to see where they live.

A report on the future of Felixstowe’s Martello Tower P is saying it could become a Window on the World and a significant asset for both the resort and the East of England.

The second flowering of local talents is coming up on Saturday, March 24 when children of all ages can grow their artistic skills at the Farm Art project at Easton Farm Park.

An in-depth analysis is being carried out to identify all the businesses operating in the district and their particular needs by the Suffolk Coastal Business Forum and Genix Ltd.

Local parents who want their babies to be more environmentally friendly can find out more at a special event being held in Felixstowe during the national Real Nappy Week 2007 (March 11 to 18).

This July another 5,000 homes in the district will get the improved kerbside recycling service that is already proving a big hit with over 9,000 homes and the environment.

One of the first service partnerships in the county has won praise from the Audit Commission for offering many examples of good practice from which other councils can learn.

The latest report on how services are being delivered by Suffolk Coastal shows that it continues to perform at an excellent level compared to other councils.

Suffolk Coastal has agreed a Council Tax increase of below three per cent, equivalent to just over seven pence a week extra on a Band D house, while succeeding in delivering better services.

The Council’s on-going commitment to quality of life and improved environmental management means it is now seeking views on its in-depth review of air quality across Suffolk Coastal.

A specially made carpet is now at the heart of a project which is encouraging groups of nursery age children to discover the magical world of music.

Once again Suffolk Coastal wants to encourage people across the district to get involved in a local clean-up this March as part of a county-wide campaign to Spring Clean Suffolk.

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

The Coastal Sports Alliance has been launched to help promote and develop all types of sporting activities across the district, bringing together the enthusiasm and expertise of clubs and individuals.

Gardeners who want to help the environment and their own pockets can join thousands in Suffolk Coastal who have already bought their own compost bin.

Over 75 per cent of businesses have so far claimed their chance to get their rates bill reduced thanks to the small business rate relief (SBRR) scheme, but there are still many who have yet to come forward.

This is the time of year when love is in the air and romantics in the district send tokens to their nearest and dearest, but it can also be a time to show their love and commitment to the environment.

Plans for an experimental beach stabilisation project to reduce the severe cliff failures at Dunwich will now go ahead, thanks to a partnership between Suffolk Coastal District Council, Dunwich Parish Meeting and the Environment Agency.

The sporting spotlight shone on Suffolk Coastal’s outstanding talents at last night’s (Sunday) inaugural Morson Group Sports Awards which also saw the launch of the new Coastal Sporting Alliance.

A letter has been sent to the Government calling for urgent action to tackle the funding problems caused by the introduction of free bus passes, which in Suffolk Coastal is costing an extra £180,000 in the coming year.

Town and parish councils across the district are being asked for their views on whether some footway lighting in their areas is still needed throughout the night.

The plug has been pulled out on bids for national funding worth £175,000 submitted by two special partnerships formed to bring closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras to Aldeburgh, Framlingham, Leiston, Saxmundham and Woodbridge.

The tension is beginning to build up for all those in the running to scoop a prize at the Morson Group Sports Awards 2007, the first ever districtwide scheme celebrating sporting achievements in Suffolk Coastal.

The call has gone out to teenagers in the Suffolk Coastal area to join the district’s new youth forum and have their say on how over £110,000 of Government money is spent on local projects.

The second phase of an operation to provide emergency sea defences to help protect Bawdsey’s East Lane cliffs gets underway this week.

Two new services have been added to Suffolk Coastal’s website so Council Taxpayers can keep track of their accounts at any time of the day.

The fourth Saturday of every month from February should be marked off on calendars as the day when people can grow their artistic skills at the Farm Art project at Easton Farm Park.

Following an inspection yesterday (Wednesday) Suffolk Coastal is set to carry out more emergency protection works to safeguard Felixstowe’s sea wall and lessen the risk of flooding in the resort.

There is some temporary heating help on hand for residents living in and around Framlingham who have been hit by the loss of their gas supply.

Caterers across the county can mark the new year by signing up to a free coaching session that will help their business meet all the latest food hygiene regulations.

Councils across Suffolk are taking steps to make postal voting safer after a new act was introduced to reduce the chances of election fraud.

The go-ahead has been given by Suffolk Coastal’s Cabinet to nearly £50,000 of funding for new play and sport facilities for young people in the Kesgrave area that are being planned by the local Town Council.

Suffolk Coastal’s commitment to partnership working and looking at all aspects of its services to identify efficiencies has now delivered another first class idea.

Work got underway today (Monday) on modernising the block of toilets at Ranelagh Road, Felixstowe as the latest part of Suffolk Coastal’s drive to offer convenient and clean facilities.

The final whistle is set to be blown on entries for the Morson Group Sports Awards 2007, the first ever districtwide scheme that will celebrate sporting achievements in Suffolk Coastal.

The New Year is about resolutions and what better way to begin than to resolve to get into the recycling habit starting with all those Christmas and New Year cards.