Following the closure of nominations for the 2015 Mid Suffolk District Council elections, as no other candidate has stood against me I have been re-elected uncontested. I am very appreciative of the support I have received from the communities of Haughley and Wetherden to date and hope to continue to serve residents well. I will continue to raise any concerns and support local issues that residents have.
Posts Tagged 'Mid Suffolk District Council'
2015 Elections – re-elected uncontested
Published April 9, 2015 Uncategorized Leave a CommentTags: Election 2015, Green Party, Haughley, Mid Suffolk District Council, Rachel Eburne, Wetherden
Budgets and transparency
Published February 19, 2015 Uncategorized Leave a CommentTags: Green Party, local government finance, Mid Suffolk District Council, Rachel Eburne, transparency
Mid Suffolk District Council’s budget for 2015/16 is due to be approved at the Council meeting at the end of February. The core budget (of approximately £10 million) is very similar to last year – and the year before. However – there is an additional £2 million, plus over £3 million underspent from previous years, allocated to “delivery plan projects”. This is money for projects intended to “transform” how the Council works and make the Council more sustainable – yet there is no clear overall plan of how this money will be spent and therefore very little transparency or accountability to the public.
In addition the Council is asking councillors to agree potential borrowing of £25 million for future Council projects – again with no detail.
I would like to see far greater transparency and accountability in explaining the Council’s budgets to the general public – and getting the public’s opinion on how the money should be spent.
More items to be recycled
Published November 6, 2014 Uncategorized Leave a CommentTags: Green Party, Mid Suffolk District Council, Rachel Eburne, recycling
As from 3rd November, residents in Mid Suffolk District can recycle even more items – “tetrapak” cartons, aerosol cans, books, and metal pots, pans and trays. This is in addition to paper, card, cans, foil plus plastic bottles, tubs and trays. http://www.suffolkrecycle.info/
Suffolk’s recycling rate is about 53% and much that can be recycled is still thrown away.
I’d still like to see a waste food recycling scheme but apparently this is not being looked at currently.
Routes to better public health?
Published October 6, 2014 Uncategorized Leave a CommentTags: Green Party, Mid Suffolk District Council, public health, Rachel Eburne, rural transport
At last week’s Mid Suffolk and Babergh Joint Scrutiny Committee (that I chair) we looked at how district councils can make a positive impact on the public health of residents in our areas. We heard from council representatives on the Suffolk-wide Health & Wellbeing Board, Suffolk County Council’s Health Scrutiny Committee and also the Chief Executive of Healthwatch – the organisation that puts forward the views of the public on how health and social care services are delivered in order to improve those experiences.
bbFour key points were raised as areas for action – using councillors influence to drive change; working with troubled families; local dementia and isolation; and rural transport. The latter cut across many of the health issues – from travel to GPs, hospital etc at different times of day and night to general rural isolation issues that meant residents can’t access the services they need to improve their lifestyles. We do need to get some solutions for this and Councillors will be looking into what can be done to improve this at future meetings.b
Development incentives?
Published June 11, 2014 Uncategorized Leave a CommentTags: CIL, Green Party, Mid Suffolk District Council, Rachel Eburne
Mid Suffolk District Council has launched a public consultation on the first stage of setting it’s Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL). This is effectively a charge placed on development which will be levied sometimes instead of, and sometimes in conjunction with, S106 agreements. (S106 is the current system when a developer makes a payment to mitigate the impact of the development so called as it is detailed under Section 106 of the Town & Country Planning Act 1990)
The CIL charge is levied per square metre of building and monies collected go towards infrastructure both locally and across the district that would be needed with any new development. Parishes will receive 15% of this to spend within their Parish and 25% if they have a Neighbourhood Plan. They are being encouraged to agree a “list” of items on which they would expect to spend CIL monies. Despite this percentage figure, the funding will still be relatively small (for one house built, the Parish may receive £750 for example.)
Planning Policy at Mid Suffolk expect that the charge will have two levels, high and low. Broadly speaking low will cover areas where development is currently being encouraged (such as Stowmarket and areas along the A14 particularly towards Needham) and high will cover elsewhere. Note that developments already with planning permission are not affected and strategic sites will be covered separately.
Further consultations will follow with the CIL expected to be adopted by April 2015: although given the amount of centralised planning policy changes in the last few years, this may still be changed again.
Car park review in Mid Suffolk
Published October 19, 2012 Uncategorized Leave a CommentTags: car parks, Green Party, Mid Suffolk District Council, Rachel Eburne, Stowmarket Town Council
Mid Suffolk District Council is reviewing car parking facilities in the district – including the six car parks in Stowmarket for which you have to pay. Mid Suffolk is asking:
- are current charges appropriate?
- are the long stay and short stay designations adequate?
- is there sufficient car park capacity in Stowmarket?
- should alternative forms of management of the car parks be considered?
Stowmarket is a small market town and needs people to shop there. In the current economic climate we should be encouraged to shop locally and use the local businesses. Giving drivers an hour free or implementing Stowmarket Town Council’s idea of “free after three” would help I feel.
What is important to you?
Published September 6, 2012 Uncategorized Leave a CommentTags: community engagement, Green Party, Haughley, Mid Suffolk District Council, Rachel Eburne, Wetherden
With the need for longer-term planning in order to minimise financial pressures, Mid Suffolk District Council (MSDC) is asking local communities (residents and businesses) what services the council should or should not be providing. Information gathered will help to prioritise the council’s work in the future.
MSDC are asking questions such as “What’s good about living here?; What do you want to change? What community facilities are being well used and also under-used?” and also “What should the Council be doing more – and less – of in the future?”
Discussions with many residents have highlighted the following issues. Which of these do you feel need the most attention?
1. Having an efficient rural transport system
2. The need for safe foot/cycle-paths (and lower traffic speeds)
3. Access to high-speed broadband
4. Price of heating oil and also petrol
5. Employment opportunities for young people
6. Affordable housing for local families
7. Volunteers to run local clubs and services
And are there any specific issues businesses have that MSDC can help solve?
Please let me know your thoughts.
If you want to understand more of the detail, please get in touch. You can also respond directly to MSDC via the council’s website www.midsuffolk.gov.uk. (Look for “Community Engagement 2012”.)
Re-elected as District Councillor
Published April 8, 2011 Uncategorized Leave a CommentTags: Green Party, local elections, Mid Suffolk District Council, Rachel Eburne, uncontested
Local district and parish elections are on 5th May and I am standing again as district councillor. No-one else is standing in this ward (compared to last year’s by-election where all the parties fielded a candidate) so I am re-elected in an uncontested election. Thank you!
News for March
Published March 11, 2011 Uncategorized Leave a CommentTags: Haughley, Mid Suffolk District Council, Rachel Eburne, Wetherden
Mid Suffolk is continuing its progress towards a potential merger with Babergh and the position of a single Chief Executive for the two councils has been advertised. It is hoped to appoint someone by June. The public poll to consider the potential merger is now expected to occur in May with the result to be announced on 6 June so as not to conflict with the District elections on 5 May.
Suffolk County Council is “divesting” itself of the old Haughley Picnic Site and has asked community groups who may be interested in taking it on to come forward. Several have already done so, including our local Scout group, and Mid Suffolk is keen to support them. We would rather not see the site end up in private hands for commercial use and think it is a great asset for locals to use. If you or your community group has a particular interest, please contact me as soon as possible.
News for January/February
Published January 17, 2011 Uncategorized Leave a CommentTags: Green Party, Haughley, Household Waste Recycling Centre, Mid Suffolk District Council, Rachel Eburne, Suffolk County Council, Wetherden
Mid Suffolk’s central government grant has been cut by 15.8% (£0.931m) and will be cut by a similar amount next year. With a freeze in council tax, and the loss of other grants, the total cut to the budget is expected to be just over £1m. It is hoped that no frontline services will be affected but it will be a difficult budget to balance. Mid Suffolk continues to work with Babergh to see what integration savings can be made.
Suffolk County Council is proposing to reduce the number of Household Waste Recycling Centres from 18 to 11. The 7 to be closed have not yet been named. Our nearest site in Stowmarket is very well used and I am concerned that the closure of any site will lead to an increase in fly-tipping. I have expressed my concern to the County and will campaign against any local closures.
The Stowmarket Service Centre in Ipswich Street is closing on 31 March 2011. Some services will instead be available via the Stowmarket Tourist Information Centre and also Stowmarket Library.
I have now also volunteered as a Governor for the primary school in Haughley and look forward to working with everyone there.
Rachel Eburne 