Hello, I hope you are all keeping safe and well.
Remembrance Sunday is almost upon and will be marked on Sunday 13th November. Please do join the local community to remember those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice, or suffered loss or injury in world conflicts. Laying of wreaths with be held at the War Memorial in Wickhambrook Cemetery at 12:00 noon.
A Financial and Technical Grant has been awarded to the Neighbourhood Plan Working Group which covers:
- further consultations of the parish on both the outcome of the Master planning technical advice, and later, the draft Neighbourhood Plan (including publishing costs, printed materials, meetings, officer and consultant time and access costs); and
- a landscape survey
The Design Guidance and Codes commissioned as part of the Technical Assistance element of the previous grant have now been finalised and published to the parish council NP webpage Neighbourhood Plan – Wickhambrook Village.
Members of the NP working group and our consultant had a useful meeting with planning policy officers at West Suffolk in late September to consider Master planning options for West Suffolk’s preferred site in Wickhambrook – for more information take a look at the updates on the website
We’ve also seen some progress on Quiet Lanes over the past month or so. There were no changes to the final routes put forward by the parish council (shown below) and a Designation Order was published by Suffolk County Council on 24th August this year.
The Quiet Lanes team has been working with Suffolk County Council highways, who have now published a scheme for the posts identifying Quiet Lanes in the parish. You can see the position of the posts marking the access and egress to the lanes and a full update at Consultations & Projects – Wickhambrook Village
The External Auditors’ Limited Assurance Review and certificate 2021/22 has been issued, confirming that in their opinion
“the information in Sections 1 and 2 of the AGAR was in accordance with Proper Practices and no other matters had come to their attention giving cause for concern that relevant legislation and regulatory requirements had been met”.
and that the Council has complied with the Accounts and Audit Regulations 2015 in the publication of a Notice of Conclusion of Audit.
The parish council at its September meeting considered an update on the redevelopment of the old MUGA space and asked the clerk to undertake further mini-consultation(s) using voting buttons to establish the level of demand and/or support for:
- Purchase of a new basket ball hoop to be sited on or near the old games space (approximately £800.00 plus VAT)
- Investigate sustainable boarding which could be installed for balls to be kicked against (Rebound walls £150 – £250 plus VAT)
- Purchase of smaller goal posts (21’ x 7’) and marking up of a junior sized pitch on Six Acres (a pop up goal post costs in the region of £250 plus VAT).
and to report back to the Estates Committee. Follow this link to let us know your views: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/JSMRYWP
The November cycle of meetings will see the Estates Committee and parish council consider a draft budget including planned capital expenditure in the next financial year 2023/2024. Items identified at the September meeting included:
- Work to Trees at Chapel of Rest
- Play equipment to be replaced
- Fencing of play areas
- Drainage of pond (Coltsfoot Green).
Some residents have also suggested additional seating on Six Acres. If you have any suggestions you would like to be considered, please contact me .
Our next parish council meeting is on 24th November at 7:00pm in the Pavilion, Memorial Social Centre.
Finally, the clerk has moved and the new postal address for the parish council is:
3 Farriers Close, Great Barton, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk IP31 2FP.
All other contact details remain the same. Do feel free to forward this message on to neighbours, friends and family in the parish and ask them to get in touch with me at if they would like to be included in our e-newsletter mailing /list!
Keep safe and well
Hilary Workman
Clerk for Wickhambrook Parish Council