Several complaints have been submitted after an 'absurd' decision 'ruined summer' for a Suffolk town.

Last week, Cllr Richard Smith, the county council's cabinet member for economic development, skills, transport strategy and waste, decided to scrap the controversial closure planned for part of Market Hill car park, in Sudbury.

The experimental scheme was in the works for two years and would have seen parking bays at the north end of the car park removed in a bid to boost footfall by creating more space for outdoor dining and events.

Although the final say was up to the cabinet member, several complaints have been submitted to the monitoring officer citing a lack of transparency and engagement.

One of the complaints was submitted by Cllr John Ward, Babergh's acting leader, who argued the decision had been politically motivated.

He added: "There are no pros and cons here, it was a last-minute decision as a result of some highly political issue.

"So much had been planned for this space for the decision to be done at the last minute — quite absurd.

"It ruined the summer for Sudbury."

Last week, the county council confirmed the decision had been taken due to mounting concerns the closure would be detrimental to footfall and trade in the town.

Some of these concerns were shared in a study by the Sudbury Chamber of Commerce which surveyed 53 businesses, many of which argued the extra space would not be as beneficial as intended.

Cllr Paul Clover, who was also involved in the survey, said the decision was a victory for common sense.

But Cllr Ward joined the town council and several of his colleagues in saying the survey had been flawed.

Some concerns were also raised during a Sudbury Town Council meeting in March, where several residents stood up to share their objections.

But Cllr Jessie Carter, who represents Sudbury, also submitted a complaint and suggested concerns raised during the town council meeting didn't reflect the true sentiment of the town's businesses.

She said: "There may have been a room full of people speaking out against the Experimental Traffic Regulation Orders at the town council in March but they had been advertised to do so.

"The decision was made in secrecy without seeking input from us."

Cllr Andrew Stringer, who leads the county council's Green, Liberal Democrat, and Independent group, said the decision put question marks on how the council deals with projects.

He added: "The decision has been made without an agenda, without a date, behind closed doors, and without public scrutiny.

"You now have to ask yourself when the county council is going to make arbitrary decisions without including anyone.

The scheme was initially agreed in 2022, following a consultation period which started as early as January 2020 and was originally meant to take place the following year before it was delayed to give businesses more preparation time.

Although the costs of setting it up over the past few years remained unclear, several councillors have suggested it was in the tens of thousands, with some businesses also losing out after investing in plans for the summer.

Cllr Richard Smith was approached for comment. He has not yet responded to the Local Demorcracy Reporting Service.