Consultations, new projects and on-going work
The Parish Council works hard to promote, respond to and improve a wide range of issues in Wickhambrook. The last year has been difficult for everyone with the pandemic, and we wanted to create an opportunity to celebrate some of our achievements over the past year, and to look forward to some ongoing and new projects in the parish, working more closely as a team.
Please use the links to jump to the relevant sections to see our ongoing projects and consultations:
- Road Safety Working Group
- Speed Reduction in Wickhambrook
- Quiet Lanes Suffolk (updated 19 October 2022)
- Housing Needs Survey (updated 10 September 2021)
- Neighbourhood Development Plan (updated 10 August 2021)
- Refurbishment of Games Area and Skate Park (updated 22 August 2021)
- Form
Next Parish Council Event…
Recent Achievements
- New multi-play unit at Bury Road Pocket play park
- Refurbishing the Cemetery Gates & a new Memorial Bench—come and join us at 2pm at the War Memorial for the cutting of the ribbon.
- Improved drainage at the end of Footpath 25, and improved steps and handrail access from the Recreation ground
- Upgrading of bins on the Recreation Ground, in the Cemetery and at Coltsfoot Green
- Installation of a new “Willow Heart” on the village sign to mark the kindness of residents in the pandemic year. Join us at 3pm for presentation of the Alf Hick’s Biscuit Barrel, and cutting of the ribbon.
Road Safety Working Group
Over the past year, the Wickhambrook PC has been working closely with Wickhambrook Primary Academy and volunteers in a working group to look at possible options and solutions for improved road safety, especially around Wickhambrook Primary Academy.
This has involved students in all year groups, who have competed to design signs to encourage drivers to slow down through the village—the winning entries will be presented with a prize, and entries will be on display at the open day.
Road Safety Posters
PREVIOUS ROAD SAFETY WORKING GROUP NEWS & INFORMATION
Road safety project in our village – THE UPDATE!
In response to a road traffic accident in 2018 and heightened concerns of residents, the school and villagers, Wickhambrook Parish Council set up a road safety working group, just over a year ago, to explore all the options for road safety specifically in the vicinity of Wickhambrook Primary Academy. The working party includes local villagers, a school governor, the head teacher and a representative from the Parish Council…
Speed Reduction in Wickhambrook
PREVIOUS SPEED REDUCTION NEWS & INFORMATION
A Note from your clerk – Recruiting Volunteers for Community Speedwatch
One of the issues raised by many residents throughout the preparation of our Draft Neighbourhood Plan has been Traffic Management and making Wickhambrook’s roads and lanes safer for all users…
Latest VAS data for B1063
Infographic on the speeds recorded on B1063 near Wickhambrook School…
Recent speed data from Vehicle Activated Signs in Wickhambrook
In 2017 Wickhambrook Parish Council purchased a vehicle activated sign (VAS), which is used to collect data on vehicle speeds from seven locations in the parish – these signs don’t collect identifying information on the vehicles, simply the speeds at which they are travelling as they go past the sign…
Vehicle Activated Signs in Wickhambrook result in speeding convictions!
Wickhambrook Parish Council has one Vehicle Activated Sign and shares another with Lidgate. There are seven sites around the village which the signs can be mounted on, and they are left in place usually for a week to 10 days…
Speeding figures in Wickhambrook released 30-08-19
Suffolk Police have recently circulated the latest figures for speed enforcement for Haverhill and surrounding villages, these figures relate to formal action / prosecutions i.e. more than just ‘words of advice’ to drivers…
Latest Data collected from Vehicle Activated Sign (VAS)
As readers will note from the figures which follow, a high percentage of vehicle activations are in excess of the 30mph limit, these figures will of course be lost on non-village residents who travel through the village, it is hoped however that village residents will take heed and reduce their speed as police camera activity in the area will increase accordingly…
Quiet Lanes Suffolk
Quiet Lanes Suffolk: www.quietlanessuffolk.co.uk
A volunteer led project supporting parishes across the county to identify and designate suitable rural lanes as Quiet Lanes to make them safer for people to use for exercise and more active forms of travel.
Wickhambrook Parish has a wide network of smaller lanes, many of which would be suitable to be designated as Quiet Lanes, if there is support from local residents.
UPDATE 19 October 2022
In August 2021 Designation notices were posted, and parish letters and maps delivered to all affected households in August 2021. Following this, Suffolk County Council had to review all the responses and prepare reports to Suffolk County Council Cabinet for sign off.
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 by viewing this pdf:
Locations on Baxters Green and Genesis Green have been included in the proposals for Ousden for practicality purposes.
The Quiet Lanes Suffolk team has decided that parish councils will need to make their own arrangements for the installation of the new sign plates. At its September meeting the Parish Council approved funding for the necessary equipment to be provided to parish volunteers for this purpose (you can see the report here).
New posts will be installed by Suffolk Highways and new sign plates will be supplied to parish councils in due course by Quiet Lane Suffolk. If you would like to help with installing the sign plates when they are available, please do contact the clerk, Hilary Workman – .
UPDATE 28 September 2021
Wave 3 (this includes Wickhambrook)
Representations have been received by SCC Legal and any objections will need to be resolved. This does take time so please avoid sending in individual emails requesting an update to the QLS team. Usually this will require contact with the Parish Council involved. QLS will update all Wave 3 parishes as soon as they have news, and the clerk will keep the projets page updated.
UPDATE 10 August 2021
The Community Engagement Day on 3rd July at the Memorial Social Centre was well supported, with over sixty people attending and looking at the displays of proposed Quiet Lanes. We had some really good feedback, and this enabled the parish council to lobby further for the lane from Nunnery Green to Boyden End becoming a Quiet Lane. Thanks to all your comments, we were successful!
At its meeting on 22nd July, the parish council considered a further report on Quiet Lanes which looked at the feedback received on all the proposed lanes it had nominated in February this year, to narrow down the nominated routes to a final nine (the parish council is making a voluntary contribution of £50 per route, with one free route).
The routes decided on were:
| Route | Lanes Included | Route Number(s) | Plan | Include Yes/No |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lords Lane, Back Street | U7047, U7048, U7049 | North of Genesis Green: 1 | Yes - share cost with Ousden |
| 2 | Chapel Road | U7058 | North of Genesis Green: 2 | Yes - share cost with Ousden |
| 3 | Ousden Road | U7056 | North of Meeting Green: 1 | Yes |
| 4 | Boyden End to Nunnery Green | North of Meeting Green: 2 | Yes | |
| 5 | Cloak Lane | U7061 | East of B1063:1 | Yes |
| 6 | The Duddery | C659 | East of B1063: 2 | Yes *Count as one route |
| Church Road | C659 | East of B1063: 3 | ||
| 7 | Giffords Lane | U7317 | East of Bury Road: 1 | Yes |
| 8 | Thorns Corner | U7102 | Attleton Green to B1063: 1 | Yes |
| 9 | Mole Hill | U7103 | Attleton Green to B1063: 2 | Yes |
| 10 | Attleton Green | U7105 | Attleton Green to B1063: 3 | Yes *Count as one route |
| Malting End | U7105 | Farley Green to B1063: 1 |
The Quiet Lanes Team has subsequently advised us that the route from Boyden End to Nunnery Green has now been extended all the way to Meeting Green, as the parish had originally requested, and so many supported in their feedback. As a result, the Quiet Lane Network, in Wickhambrook, (if designated by Suffolk County Council), will look like this:
Our routes at the northern end of the parish link through to the Quiet Lanes in Ousden (Lords Lane and Chapel Lane).
The next stage is a formal consultation prior to the routes being designated. In late August (23rd), leaflets will be delivered to all properties along the routes nominated, and they will have an opportunity to respond directly to Suffolk County Council with their views. Notices will also be posted at either end of each route proposed. You can view the consultation letter and formal notice here.
If you would like updates on parish activities and consultations, please contact Hilary Workman ().
PREVIOUS QUIET LANES NEWS & INFORMATION
A note from your clerk – Quiet Lanes have arrived!
With thanks to our Chairman, Mike Lavelle, and his volunteers Gary and Mel, I’m really pleased to be able to tell you that we have now completed installation of the Quiet Lanes signage…
Update on Quiet Lanes
In August 2021 Designation notices were posted, and parish letters and maps delivered to all affected households in August 2021. Following this, Suffolk County Council had to review all the responses and prepare reports to Suffolk County Council Cabinet for sign off…
A note from your Clerk – Quiet Lanes
One of the key issues raised by local residents in response to planning issues has been the need for affordable housing for Wickhambrook residents…
Quiet Lanes Consultation
Wickhambrook Parish Council Quiet Lanes Consultation…
Housing Needs Survey
UPDATE 10 September 2021
The parish council has carefully considered the agreement proposed by Community Action Suffolk (CAS), the provider of the survey and subsequent summary and full report. On reflection, the council has decided not to enter into the agreement, which it considers would put the parish council at risk of a large financial liability, and constrain the council’s intention to make full use of information from the report to inform the development of its Neighbourhood Plan. Councillors do not consider this to be in the interests of the parish community.
The draft minutes of the extra-ordinary meeting at which this decision was reached on 8th September will be available shortly.
The parish council will continue to explore options to undertake a housing needs survey in the future as part of the wider Neighbourhood Planning project.
Please address any queries to Hilary Workman, the clerk, at .
PREVIOUS HOUSING NEEDS SURVEY NEWS & INFORMATION
A note from your Clerk – Housing Needs Survey
One of the key issues raised by local residents in response to planning issues has been the need for affordable housing for Wickhambrook residents…
Housing Needs Survey for Wickhambrook
Last Autumn West Suffolk Council consulted on Issues and Options for a new local plan. One of the key concerns many residents raised with the parish council, was the need for affordable housing for Wickhambrook residents. For this reason, we have decided to carry out a more detailed survey to try and get a better understanding of future housing need for the village…
Neighbourhood Development Plan
Refurbishment of Games Area and Skate Park
In May ’21 a storm caused some significant damage to the boarding of the Games area. The parish council was already looking into the possible re-surfacing of the games area and skatepark, and consequently reviewed its options.
To date, the parish council has:
• Held a working party to remove the old boarding surrounding the old Multi-Use Games Area (MUGA)
• Consulted on Options at a Community Engagement Day in July 2021
• Considered a report on re-development of the MUGA space taking into account responses at the Community Engagement Event
• Put on a Street Art Workshop to overpaint old graffiti and brighten up the space (is it possible to insert a slideshow of pictures here?)
• Identified options for re-development based on an outdoor fitness area (including both low level cardiovascular workouts and sport street workout
• Installed new bow top fencing to the old MUGA space
Any new development would have significant cost implications for the parish council, and whilst it has seed funding set aside in Earmarked Reserves, the anticipated cost of the mid range option identified in the report considered at its January meeting was in the region of £25,000. This would require not only significant fundraising through grants, donations and sponsorship, but require full tendering for any contract under its Financial Regulations. In order to demonstrate the demand for such a proposal, the parish council therefore decided to re-consult with residents at a further community engagement event, which was held at the Wickhambrook Fete and Flower Show on 9th July.
A summary of the feedback at this event was reported at the July meeting of the parish council. Responses at the event (which were not statistically significant) are summarised below:
Outdoor Fitness Area:
Give back the basket ball court
Six Acres & Recreation Ground
Goal Posts
Secure dog area on field for exercise etc.
Secure dog area for exercise and training
A wall to kick a football against
Skate Park
Make the skate park floor useable
The meeting therefore considered that there was not currently enough support from parish residents for outdoor fitness, and asked the clerk to undertake a further consultation on options for recreation space in the parish which would take into account the feedback received at the July community engagement event.
Complete survey here
Please help us by using this survey to give your views on how you would like to see the parish council develop its recreation facilities for residents.
This survey is open until 17th September.
UPDATE - 21 December 2021
A lot has been going on in the background to bring the old MUGA space back into use since our last update in August.
At its September meeting the parish council considered a report on redevelopment of the old MUGA space. It supported the Estate’s Committee proposal to redevelop the space for low level cardiovascular outdoor fitness equipment (with no requirement to re-surface the existing tarmac), site an additional Gym Station just outside the old MUGA space, and research and consult on the development of a new MUGA space in an alternative position on Six Acres.
The Parish Council approved the funding to remove the old basketball hoop at ground level, make repairs to the surfacing at the rear of the old games space and re-fence it with bow top fencing to a height of 1.2m (similar to that surrounding the Skate Park). This work has been instructed, but unfortunately due to supply issues we have been advised that the installation has been delayed at least until the new year.
In December, the Estates Committee considered a report setting out three options for cardio vascular outdoor fitness equipment, with costs ranging from £14K to £51K. The proposal from Proludic was identified as its preferred option to take forwards. This option includes:
- Metal Street Workout with Dip Bar, Horizontal Bar, Horizontal Ladder
- Elliptical Trainer; Urbanix Spinning Bicycle; Hydraulic Squat; Pendulum and Twister; Hydraulic Shoulder Press; and Hand Cycle
- Line marked Trim Trail; and
- Access to a mobile sports app which provides free exercise guides and allows users to track their workouts. Users over the age of 18 will also have access to a community forum where they can share/challenge and chat with local friends.
Illustrations of the equipment, layout and information on the sports app can be found by following this link. We believe that this option provides access to a wide range of users of all ages, abilities and levels of mobility.
The quoted cost of the package is just under £25,000. The parish would have to raise the majority of the cost of the package through grant funding.
To support any grant application, we need your views! We’ll be posting a short questionnaire, but if you have any queries or comments, please do get in touch with the clerk at
Parish Council Reports
PREVIOUS GAMES AREA & SKATE PARK NEWS & INFORMATION
A note from your Clerk – New Fencing to the Old MUGA space
After a delay over the Christmas and New Year (which seems a long while ago now!), the fencing to the old MUGA space next to the Skate Park has now been completed. This is the first phase in bringing the space back into use for outdoor fitness, and a consultation on the proposals will be starting shortly…
Work to old Multi-Use Games Area
After a delay over Christmas and the New Year work to the old Multi-Use Games Area (MUGA) starts tomorrow (Tuesday 8th February)…
MUGA/Outdoor Fitness
A lot has been going on in the background to bring the old MUGA space back into use since our last update in August…
A note from your Clerk – MUGA & Skate Park
At the Community Engagement Day on 3rd July there were a number of requests for smaller football goals with nets, which could be achieved if the seating was taken out and new boundary fencing installed..
Multi-Use Games Area
Our Multi-Use Games Area (MUGA) suffered some damage in the storms over the May Bank Holiday. We are looking at options to either repair or replace it. It may also be an opportunity to look at upgrading the games surface…
Wickhambrook Parish Council
Would you like to participate in one or more of the projects the parish council is developing?
Please let us know what you would be interested in helping with: