Joao Santos

Nesting gulls and other birds have delayed the £6m redevelopment of the former Olding Road warehouse and local authority depot in Bury St Edmunds. West Suffolk Council halted construction for two months because active bird nests are legally protected, with work expected to restart on 1 September and the site scheduled to open in spring. The redevelopment is intended to accommodate a trampoline park, padel courts and potentially a gymnastics club. Delay costs remain commercially sensitive, while the completed site is expected to generate about £161,000 in annual income compared with roughly £300,000 in current holding costs.

Guildhall Feoffment plans to demolish six almshouses dating from 1912 on Long Row in Bury St Edmunds and replace them with eight modern homes for elderly residents, while retaining and refurbishing two other properties. Fourteen objections have been submitted, including from Bury St Edmunds Town Trust and West Suffolk Council’s conservation officer, who say there is insufficient evidence that adapting the existing buildings would be impractical. Concerns also include heritage loss, privacy and parking. The charity says the redevelopment would provide energy-efficient accommodation and that existing residents would be offered new homes, but the planning decision remains pending.

Suffolk County Council is facing calls to publish a confidential 26-page report explaining why opposition councillors’ challenges to its decision to sue the UK government were rejected. The legal challenge, authorised by Reform UK leader Michael Hadwen, could cost up to £500,000 and concerns the planned replacement of Suffolk’s existing county, district and borough councils with three unitary authorities. Conservative, Green, Labour and Liberal Democrat leaders say withholding the report undermines scrutiny, transparency and confidence in the decision’s legality. The council has declined to comment further, while its monitoring officer is reportedly expected to submit a Section 5A report concerning possible illegality or maladministration.

Residents in Thorpeness are working with East Suffolk Council to relocate rock defences that have become ineffective and potentially hazardous due to significant coastal erosion. A consultancy report suggested that removing the rocks would restore natural sediment movement, while local leaders emphasized the urgent need to secure the material before winter. The community’s CIC is exploring options to reposition the rocks to strengthen existing protective measures along the beach as the area continues to lose land at an accelerated pace.

A Freedom of Information request revealed that Suffolk County Council leader Michael Hadwen authorised an £18,500 office refurbishment shortly after taking office, with most costs allocated to a new office, access controls, and equipment. Former leader Matthew Hicks and opposition councillors from the Green and Labour parties criticised the spending amid wider service cuts. The council defended the refurbishment as necessary to improve workspace and support collaboration among cabinet members.

An engineering report commissioned by East Suffolk Council found that rocks placed on the beach at Thorpeness in 2021 are worsening coastal erosion by trapping sediment, accelerating land loss along North End Avenue. The village has already lost up to 30 metres of land in a year, with 11 homes demolished. Councillors will consider spending up to £500,000 to remove and store the rocks before winter and explore relocating coastal defences, including potential community‑led projects pending funding and permission.

Funding from the Department for Education has been withdrawn from the Suffolk Parent Carer Forum, prompting its closure and the issuance of redundancy notices. The charity Contact, which manages the funding, said the decision was not due to shortcomings by the forum. Local SEND partners thanked the group for its work, and efforts are under way to establish a new forum to support parent carers.