Babergh District Councillor Alastair McCraw

BUDGET PLANNING

This area always occupies a lot of time at the start of each year, but I'm glad to say that for Babergh It's been smooth this year. We'll have a balanced Budget for 2020/21 with a small surplus. The proposal is for a £5 increase p.a for a Band D Property. That's equivalent to 3.1% on our component of the total Council Tax bill.

Babergh collect the money, so we often take the flak for it. In recent times we've managed to avoid cutting any services, mostly by being very careful. Suffolk County Council will shortly vote for a 3.98% increase (including 2% for Adult Social Care). The Police and Crime Commissioner has a figure of 4.69% in mind. Brantham Parish Council will increase their precept by a modest 2%. About three quarters of your Council Tax is for the County. The Parishes get 3%, more or less. The District about 10%, The Police around 13%. I grew up at a time when people got paid weekly, so a simple rough and ready method is this. £1 a week to Parish. £3 a week to District. £4 plus a week to the Police and £25 a week to the County. As I write, that's the broad picture.

A HEALTH KICK

The first phase of a £2.4m extension and new facilities at Kingfisher Leisure Centre, Sudbury has been completed this month and work to build a new swimming pool at Hadleigh Pool and Leisure will enter its next construction phase this Spring. All existing facilities including the current pool have so far remained open, however, to enable final preparations ahead of its demolition later this year, the current pool will close on Friday 20 March.

Ipswich Town Football Club has joined the drive to get more youngsters active, becoming the Active Schools project's first ambassador. Launched last year by Babergh and Mid Suffolk, in partnership with the NHS and supported by Active Suffolk; the three-year project aims to increase the number of people taking part in sport and physical activity. Funded by an £80,000 investment – £25,000 from each district and £15,000 from the two CCGs, Active Schools will engage with 20 schools across Babergh and Mid Suffolk, with Active Suffolk already working closely with 15.

Ipswich Town supports this aspiration to enable young people in our areas to lead an active lifestyle. They will provide access to initiatives that include sport, education, community engagement and health, working with all partners to maximise the number of opportunities for young people to be physically active. For both areas combined, 28.9% of Year 6 pupils are overweight, including 15.6% classified as obese.

CITIZENS ADVICE

Babergh & Mid Suffolk Cabinets both agreed future funding to support Citizens Advice (CA) with more than £420k over the next three years. In Babergh, funds of at least £160,500 (equating to £53,500 per annum) for Sudbury and District Citizens Advice got the green light. The key here is that this is a rolling three years, subject to annual review and prepared to allow for inflation. With this support of longer-term funding, they can continue to deliver a much-needed service, helping the community to thrive and be more self-sufficient.

ADAPTATIONS GRANTS

We've approved a new Housing Assistance Policy to help residents suffering with a long-term illness adapt their homes. The expansion of the Minor Adaptations Grant offers financial support to enable residents to carry out minor adaptations to their home up to the value of £7,500. Works covered within the new scheme include ramps, bathing/washing facilities, additional heating, stairlifts, key safes and wash/dry toilets. This is not means tested, but based on need.

BRANTHAM DEVELOPMENT

People have been asking about the digging at Church Field. It's just an archaeological survey, now completed and filled in, as part of the Hopkins Homes application, expected rather soon. Then the consultation period starts once we've had a chance to see the final proposals. I reserve judgement, but expect the number of houses proposed to be reduced.

As far as the recent leaflet from Taylor Wimpey goes, I and Parish Council members have met with the Taylor Wimpey team to ensure that when work restarts, it has a lot less impact on the village than before. A lot of the previous stuff was, frankly, unavoidable. Now that the south access is built all construction traffic can be directed that way. It will be very heavily signposted to avoid Brooklands, but there's always an idiot with a sat nav. Breheney will be building the spine roads from the south and that will take some months. I've firmly stated that noisier activity should be avoided at the start of the day and will continue to monitor the situation, with your help. House building? Not yet. The Road is needed first. Footpath work is also expected in the spring.

I'm glad to say that the blue Claud Butler and I are reunited. It's like having wings again, particularly with storm force winds behind you. Give me a wave, stop me as I go, or just contact me as below.

Alastair McCraw. 07812 564188 OR 07548 154296 [email protected]

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