East Suffolk Council
News
Authorities join forces for day of action in Saxmundham
Officers from East Suffolk Council have taken part in a multi-agency day of action with the aim of improving community safety in the Saxmundham.
Cost-effective Council purchase for Better Recycling scheme
East Suffolk Council’s Cabinet has agreed a cost-effective purchase, from existing budgets, to help ensure that the new ‘Better Recycling’ scheme is as simple as possible for residents to understand.
From 2026, East Suffolk Council will supply all households with an additional wheelie bin or other container to separate paper and card from plastics, metal, cartons (including Tetra Pak) and glass bottles or jars. This will be in addition to a brand-new weekly food waste collection service.
Better Recycling is a government initiative which every council must adopt, and all councils must seek compliance with what is expected, doing so in a financially prudent way. As part of this, all Suffolk councils, are expected - and have agreed - to standardise waste and recycling bin colours across Suffolk, as part of the government’s push for greater consistency.
With this in mind, changes are required to colours in East Suffolk, which are currently out of step with the rest of the county. Additionally, a colour clash will be resolved, helping to avoid confusion for residents.
However, rather than purchasing new bins, East Suffolk Council’s Cabinet has instead opted to introduce new bin lids, in the appropriate colour, at a fraction of the cost. To replace bins in their entirety would cost £875,000 plus distribution which would take the overall cost to over £1 Million. However, replacement lids, will cost around £350,000 to purchase and install, providing a far cheaper and more environmentally friendly option.
Cllr Sally Noble, East Suffolk's cabinet member for the Environment said: “When our garden waste subscription service was introduced some years ago, the previous Conservative administration decided not to follow the approved waste and recycling colour scheme, and introduced green bins for garden waste instead of the established brown.
“We said from early on that this could cause confusion when alongside the new green-lidded bin we are introducing for card and paper as part of ‘Better Recycling’. However, it is important that we address this as cost-effectively as possible, and replacing lids, only, is far cheaper.
“This money comes from an existing budget, where – thanks to excellent procurement work by the council – we have remaining funding in place which we are able to utilise.
“Ultimately, this is a step we must take, to ensure consistency and simplicity, and I am entirely satisfied that this approach is the most cost-effective way to meet our objectives.”
The ’Better Recycling’ Scheme will be introduced next June.
Lowestoft flood defences to be put to the test
Temporary flood barriers that are used to reduce the risk of tidal flooding in Lowestoft will be tested this week in preparation for the winter season.
Pocket park at South Quay Wharf now open
A new pocket park at South Quay Wharf in Lowestoft is now open to the public following regeneration works.
Free parking for Remembrance events
Parking charges will again be lifted for Remembrance Sunday events in communities across East Suffolk.
Keeping people warm this winter
Organisations and groups delivering projects which focus on keeping people warm, well-fed and connected to their community are invited to apply for funding to support their efforts.
Big enough to deliver, local enough to care
Plans to transform local services were agreed this week by Suffolk’s district and borough councils, as well as cabinet members, and have been submitted to the Government.
Revised plans for exciting Cultural Quarter development
Following a review of ambitions for the Cultural Quarter project in Lowestoft town centre, and a considerable change in market conditions, a revised and updated plan for the site will now progress to the final build stage.
The scheme is intended to deliver new leisure, restaurant, and cultural opportunities on the site of the former multi-storey car park and the Marina Customer Services Centre. It forms part of the Lowestoft Regeneration Programme as part of the £24.9m provided through the Town Deals and Levelling up fund from MHCLG to transform and diversify the town centre, unlock private and public investment, attract younger people, create high-skilled jobs, enhance the nighttime economy and capitalize on the town's heritage and cultural assets.
These government funds have unlocked a further £32m (£18m of which is direct ESC funding) in match funding signifying a total of £59m investment in the town.
Earlier this year, discussions took place with Anglian Water in relation to building over an established sewer and this led to an outline redesign for the project. At this point the Council also took the opportunity to review the demand from the commercial leisure market and cultural sector to ensure changes meet current industry demand.
Encouraging feedback from food and beverage providers who are interested in the development as were expressions of interest to operate the community and cultural elements of the development. However, to date, there has been minimal interest in demand for commercial leisure provision within the complex – reflecting national challenges faced by the commercial leisure sector.
Given this change in demand and the high risk of developing part of a complex that is likely to remain vacant, it was agreed that the most viable and prudent option given the circumstances are:
Case for Change plans to revolutionise Suffolk council services published
Plans to revolutionise council services in Suffolk – delivering real improvements for local communities, saving at least £34m a year, and reinvesting £20m of that money annually into council services – have been published.
Councillors help expand facilities at local Men’s Shed
A project aimed at improving wellbeing and encouraging social interaction is going from strength to strength – with the help of funding from six East Suffolk councillors.