Mark Boggis

The River Waveney Trust has received £275,000 from the newly established East Suffolk Trust to expand volunteer-led water-quality testing across four areas of the River Waveney catchment and support habitat restoration. The programme aims to help communities monitor pollution, improve river resilience and protect wildlife amid increasing pressure from climate change. East Suffolk Trust, founded by East Suffolk Council, Suffolk County Council and Sizewell C, is expected to receive at least £78 million from the nuclear project over 70 years. A further £50,000 grant has been awarded to Chalkeith Conservation for chalk-grassland restoration near Needham Market.

East Suffolk Council planning officers are recommending approval of McCarthy Stone’s revised proposal to redevelop vacant land at Teal Close in Reydon, near Southwold, with a two-and-a-half-storey retirement complex containing 36 apartments. The scheme would include communal facilities, mobility scooter parking, electric vehicle charging points, more than 20 parking spaces and landscaping. Reydon Parish Council and the Southwold and Reydon Society objected, citing conflicts with the local Neighbourhood Plan, while earlier concerns about drainage and highways led to revisions. Councillors are due to consider the application subject to a legal agreement and 28 conditions.

A five-week T Level engineering experience pilot in Lowestoft has been completed by 10 students from three colleges. Delivered through the EastWind Offshore Wind Cluster at the Orbis Energy Centre, the programme included engineering projects, site visits and mentoring from more than 35 offshore-wind industry partners. Organizers are now discussing expanding the scheme nationally to strengthen links between education and the UK offshore wind workforce.

Nicholas Everitt Park in Oulton Broad has received a Green Flag Award for the 17th consecutive year, recognizing its high standards and well-maintained facilities. Volunteers from the Friends of Nicholas Everitt Park, who work alongside East Suffolk Services, celebrated by raising the flag during their weekly gardening session. The park features several amenities including sports facilities, a bandstand, a boating lake and a museum, and the volunteer group continues to welcome new members.

Jess Asato urges Suffolk County Council to ensure Lowestoft receives adequate investment in skills, regeneration and economic development as the town expands through offshore wind, Sizewell C and wider clean‑energy opportunities. She highlights the need for stronger employer–education links, improved transport, support for the high street, better Trading Standards enforcement and recognition of local festivals’ economic value. The article also notes her recent legal action against xAI over alleged misuse of its chatbot.

A regional watersports provider has expanded into a new unit at Jubilee Parade on Lowestoft’s seafront, offering activities including open water swimming, junior watersports, beachfront sauna access and fitness sessions. Founder Nicola Butler emphasizes inclusive health and wellbeing initiatives supported by newly hired instructors and lifeguards. The £6.2m complex, led by East Suffolk Council, hosts several leisure operators and aims to encourage active lifestyles for residents and visitors.

A Lowestoft RNLI crew assisted a 27‑metre vessel taking on water while working at the East Anglia 3 Windfarm, after a Mayday was issued by its three‑man crew. The lifeboat provided a portable pump and escorted the vessel toward Great Yarmouth, where additional RNLI teams took over. A Coastguard helicopter attended but evacuation was not required. The vessel was brought safely to a boatyard for lifting after a seven‑hour operation.

A community storytelling project in Carlton Colville returns with a second series exploring local people and marshland heritage through short oral‑history podcasts. Created and narrated by writer Dean Parkin for Suffolk Wildlife Trust and supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the new episodes highlight local characters, landscapes and memories. A celebration event at Carlton Marshes will feature previews, photographic displays and screenings, while inviting visitors to contribute ideas to an ongoing A–Z project. The first series garnered strong engagement, including a most‑watched episode with over 20,000 views.

East Suffolk Council has approved plans to demolish and rebuild the failing foundations, walls and roof of Gisleham Village Hall, known locally as The Gisleham Hut. Submitted by Ian Garrett Building Design Ltd on behalf of the Gisleham parish room charity, the proposal aims to address structural settlement, improve accessibility and ensure continued community use. With no objections raised and support from Gisleham Parish Council, the project will restore the hall without changing its footprint, upgrading its safety and long‑term viability.

East Suffolk Council approved plans to convert the upper floors of a long-vacant former solicitor’s office in Lowestoft into an eight‑bedroom HMO while retaining the ground floor for office use. The proposal, submitted on behalf of Ness Point Properties, was supported by the council as addressing a need for affordable single‑person accommodation and reusing an empty building. Lowestoft Town Council and several residents objected, citing concerns over additional HMOs, but the scheme was granted permission with conditions.