No time to get into Stowmarket for a good book?

Unusually, the Mobile Library Service comes to The Lane, here in the village, three times next month;

Friday, 2nd September

Friday, 16th September

Friday, 30th September

The Mobile Library will be present between 11.45 a.m. and 12 noon.

County Council consult on Informal Adult and Community Learning

Suffolk County Council and The Suffolk Partnership for Informal Adult Learning are consulting of the development of a strategic plan for Informal Adult and Community Learning. It is important for us that we hear the views of as many people and organisations as possible.

You can respond by completing the on-line survey that should take no longer than 10 minutes. Alternatively you can email your responses to k.brundish@ucs.ac.uk. Please put IACL in the subject line.

This consultation is open until 30th September 2011.

News for parents of disabled children

Suffolk County Council's Short Break Duty Statement is now available to view. If you have a disabled child or young person, or know someone who does, take a look and let them know what you think. 

A link to the document and an explanation of how to give your views is available here.

Suffolk's broadband plans get £11m boost

Suffolk's £41m plans to build a super fast broadband network across the county have received strong financial backing from the Government.

The £11 million investment pledged by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport means Suffolk can move forward with its ambitious goal to create a broadband network fit for the twenty first century.

It follows a decision by Suffolk County Council to invest up to £10 million in the project - a move which almost certainly proved crucial in securing the backing from Government.

Councillor Mark Bee, Suffolk County Council's Leader, said:

"I'm ecstatic. From the day I was elected Leader I've wanted this and have worked hard with all our partners to make it happen. Today is an important milestone in our ambition to create for Suffolk a broadband network fit for the twenty first century. We can now crack on with the project and turn our ambition into a reality."

The Suffolk target is to have 85% of Suffolk premises with access to superfast (20Mbps or greater) fibre optic broadband. The remaining 15% of premises will be served by fixed wireless broadband.

Suffolk is hoping to complete the procurement phase (to secure a supplier to install the infrastructure) of the project by Q3 (July-Sept) 2012. Deployment should therefore commence before the end of 2012.

It is envisaged that the infrastructure will take up to 2.5 years to complete. The target date for completion is March 2015.

Suffolk Rural Arts Directory - everything you need in one place

If you thought rural Suffolk was short of arts group and activities think again.

A new Suffolk Rural Arts Directory offering 120 pages of arts and heritage contacts to help residents and visitors looking for arts resources and information has just been published by Mid Suffolk and Suffolk Coastal councils working together to promote local tourism.

The directory lists crafts, dance, drama and musical theatre, film, galleries and art studios, museums and heritage, professional arts agencies and services, professional artists and makers, spoken and written word, technical services and equipment for hire, venues and visual arts groups - within Mid Suffolk, Suffolk Coastal and some in Babergh. 

“Cultural tourism is a vital part of the local economy” explains councillor Diana Kearsley, Portfolio Holder for Culture and Community “we have a wealth of arts groups presenting fantastic work across Suffolk, and a directory like this one is crucial in letting people know what’s going on and can choose to get engaged if they want to.”

The directories are free and available at libraries, arts venues, tourist information centres and local businesses and via the new website. There’s loads of other good stuff on there too, such as a what’s on guide, event and project profiles and artist opportunities.

If you are not already in the directory and are organising arts activity across rural Suffolk, you can register as an artist, organisation, venue or service by going online and completing a simple form. 

For further information please contact Zoey Furzer on 01449 724638 or email zoey.furzer@midsuffolk.gov.uk.

Watch out for a new tax scam

Suffolk Trading Standards are warning consumers about a serious tax rebate scam from a company falsely claiming to be from the well known brand name - Money Saving Expert.

Money Saving Expert is best known through TV and Radio presenter Martin Lewis and the company’s popular consumer website moneysavingexpert.com. The fraudulent company are providing the Money Saving Expert company address in London and are also claiming to represent the ‘Ministry of Finance’.

Initially, a Suffolk consumer contacted Suffolk Trading Standards on 5 August 2011 after a company was cold calling him over the telephone saying he was due a tax rebate of nearly £6000.

Money Saving Expert has confirmed that they do not cold call consumers and do not provide cheques to consumers for tax rebates or any other purposes. It appears the company's name and address was being used illegally in an attempt to give some creditability to the scam.

The second claim that the company were representing the ‘Ministry of Finance’ was also entirely false as there is no such department in the UK.

This scam works by asking the consumer to buy a Ukash voucher, which are available for cash at a variety of retail outlets, for the value of £100.

The Ukash voucher is a less familiar form of payment that enables people to exchange cash for a voucher that can be used to pay for goods, mainly on the internet. However, once a consumer has provided the number located on the voucher, any one else can use its value in exchange for payment of goods. The consumer's voucher is then no longer of any value.

The company promised to send an agent to collect the voucher at the consumer’s home address in exchange for a cheque. At first, the company tried to complete the exchange on the same day as the initial call.

Fortunately, the consumer contacted Suffolk Trading Standards who waited for the business to return a telephone call to make arrangements for the cheque rebate. During the conversation the company repeated the false claims that they were from a company called Money Saving Expert and represented the ‘Ministry of Finance’.

Suffolk Trading Standards are warning people using Ukash vouchers not to provide the code numbers on the voucher to anyone calling them, particularly if they are claiming to be able to reclaim tax rebates, bank charges or similar.

County Councillor Colin Spence, Portfolio Holder for Public Protection said; “Consumers should be very wary of contact via distance communication from companies asking for an upfront fee or the purchase of money vouchers in exchange for tax rebates.

“In this case a well known company name has been used to try and provide the scam with some creditability and lure consumers into parting with hard earned money. The best advice we can give is if the offer appears too good to be true, it probably is. Consumers should contact Consumer Direct to report any suspicious contact of this type.”

Wendy Alcock, Campaigns Coordinator at Money Saving Expert said; “As campaigners on consumer rights we sadly hear tales like this every day. Scammers are good at making their scams look authentic and millions are caught out each year but it's great to see in this case the consumer knew things didn’t add up and contacted their local trading standards. We urge anyone else who is unsure of a company's claims to do the same.”

Anyone who has been contacted by a company they suspect may be trying to scam them should call Consumer Direct on 0845 404 0506 or visit www.consumerdirect.gov.uk

Alternatively, the UK’s national fraud reporting centre Action Fraud can be contacted on 0300 123 2040 or on www.actionfraud.org.uk

Domestic Abuse: Be a part of ending it

The Mid Suffolk Domestic Abuse Forum, a group of local residents and professionals who are committed to providing service to victims and survivors of domestic abuse, is looking for a new chair person to help organise and fundraise for the forum.

Organising conferences, supplying material and supporting front line delivery services, the Mid Suffolk Domestic Forum strives to reduce the occurrence of domestic abuse in Mid Suffolk.

The group has been meeting actively since April 2009 and is currently chaired by John Spitzer, the Community Safety Manger at Mid Suffolk District Council. The group organised its first conference in 2009 with the theme of “A journey through the legal system”. In 2010, the theme was “Under-represented Groups”. The conferences were free and attracted national organisations and speakers. The Forum has also supported the Freedom Programme and MARACs.

John Spitzer, Community Safety Manager at Mid Suffolk District Council said: “This would be the perfect situation for a dynamic individual who is passionate about helping others and putting an end to domestic abuse.”

If you are interested in becoming the new chairperson, or would like to find out further information, please contact John Spitzer at 01449 724646 or john.spitzer@midsuffolk.gov.uk

If you would like to attend the group or volunteer to be the chair, the next meeting of the Forum is at 2pm on September 8 2011.

Gold Star for Green Effort

Businesses in Mid Suffolk are greener than they have ever been according to end-of-year figures released today by Mid Suffolk District Councils Trade Waste and Recycling service.

A record breaking 103 tonnes of recyclable material was collected from April 2010 to April 2011. That equates to almost two tonnes of waste per week which may have otherwise gone straight into landfill.

The success of the recycling service can be attributed to the wide range of materials accepted in the bins and a pricing structure which encourages businesses to maximise their recycling efforts. This coupled with excellent customer focused service delivered by the waste team in Creeting Road has made the service a winning choice amongst businesses in the district.

Cllr Roy Barker, portfolio holder for waste said: “The service is just what the district needs at the moment, it offers businesses a viable and sustainable way to reduce the waste they send to landfill whilst reducing the overall cost of disposal – everyone benefits.”

Rupert Tabley, Business Generation Officer at Mid Suffolk District Council said: “I’m really proud of what we have achieved in our first full year. In the future we hope to increase business recycling rates further by enhancing the range of materials we can recover through a variety of initiatives and strategic partnerships.”

More details of the scheme can be found on the Mid Suffolk District Council website or through the trade waste team on 01449 778623.

Tractors Boys crash out at first obstacle

Ipswich Town 1 Northampton Town 2

On a disappointing night which promised so much more, Paul Jewell's men were knocked out in their home first round Carling Cup tie against a team they eliminated last season on the way to an unexpected semi-final appearance against Arsenal.

Whilst a number of first-teamers were rested, including Michael Chopra, there was enough experience in the side to provide the 9,000 home supporters with reason to hope, and things started well, with Ipswich pressurising the Cobblers early on, before Jay Emmanuel-Thomas scored a great goal from the edge of the box, leaving the Northampton goalkeeper clawing at thin air to put Town one-up after fifteen minutes.

However, a good opening was missed later in the half after good work by Andy Drury, and Northampton took advantage of their generosity to score before half-time.

In the second half, the away team, cheered on by 400 noisy followers, were made to look rather better than they were by an increasingly insipid home team, and it came as no great surprise when Northampton scored again to take the lead. This drew little response from Ipswich, although they did rouse themselves in the last ten minutes, causing some nervous moments for the Northampton defence but rarely looking like grabbing an equaliser.

And so an opportunity for cup glory has been tossed away far earlier in the season than Paul Jewell and his squad would have hoped for. On this showing however, the squad needs reinforcing if Marcus Evans is to feel that he's getting value for money. Season ticketholders may not have his patience...

Time for tea once again

Saturday, August 13th sees the next in the wildly successful series of monthly coffee mornings, organised by the Parochial Church Council and held in the Church Room at the end of The Lane.

The event offers another chance to meet fellow villagers, eat some excellent baked goods and perhaps buy a jar of preserves, for yourself or for a friend as a gift.

The event kicks off at 10 a.m. and runs for two hours, leaving plenty of time for the shopping and other chores. All funds raised go towards the maintenance of the Church, so your tea drinking is for a worthy cause.

County Council announce street lighting proposals

As reported here last month, Suffolk County Council will be turning off some street lights, and dimming others as part of a measure to cut costs and reduce light pollution, and notice has reached the Journal of the proposals for Stowmarket, Stowupland and Creeting St Peter. Readers will note that the nine street lights located within Creeting St Peter are coloured green, signifying that they are owned by the Parish Council.

Highlights of the proposals:

• The heart of Stowmarket will remain lit.
• The main routes into the town are likely to remain lit, albeit dimmed.
• The street light on the corner of Creeting Lane and the A1120 belongs to Stowupland Parish Council, and an approach will need to be made to them to ensure that it remains lit.
• Most minor roads around Stowmarket will be unlit overnight.

Cllr Mark Valladares is keen to ensure that any issues of concern to villagers are addressed quickly. "I am well aware that whilst the access routes to the village are unlit, there are places where lighting is essential to ensure the safety of anyone travelling to and from Creeting St Peter.", he said, "But as a non-driver, it would be really helpful to have the perspective of drivers across the Parish.".

Stowmarket & District Road Safety Committee to meet

A meeting to discuss road safety issues in Stowmarket and surrounding villages will take place in two weeks time at the offices of Stowmarket Town Council in Milton Road, Stowmarket. New officers for the committee will be elected, and any issues that have arisen since their last meeting in May will be considered.

Cllr Mark Valladares will be representing the Parish Council for the first time. "I think that it is important that we use every forum available to us to make our voice heard. Villagers have concerns about speeding vehicles in and around Creeting St Peter, and there are other issues, such as the right hand turn into Creeting Lane from the A1120."

"I'll be reporting back to Parish Council at our September meeting, but if anyone has anything that they want to see raised, they should get in touch."

Breach of planning restrictions rewarded at Grove Farm

After successfully breaching the planning restrictions placed upon the tied property at Grove Farm by allowing it to be occupied by someone other than an agricultural worker for more than ten years without seeking clearance, and then making lawful the breach by applying for retrospective permission, a follow up application has been made to make additional single-storey extensions to 'Orchard Lea', as well as the building of a garage.

Whilst the failure of Mid Suffolk District Council to enforce the restrictions placed on the usage of the property is unfortunate, the owners of the property have merely taken advantage of an opportunity, a point not lost on at least one Parish Councillor.

However, the new application gives an opportunity to local residents to monitor this latest bid to enhance the value of the site, and they have until 24 August to let Mid Suffolk know what they think, if anything. For more information, look here.

Go Wild this summer with Mid Suffolk’s Countryside Team

Mid Suffolk's Countryside Team will be at Needham Lake every week putting on a family event throughout August. Join them for a varied programme of exciting, hands on countryside events for all the family. 

For younger children there is a Summer Welly Walk on Monday 8th August from 10.30 – 11.30am. Enjoy the sights and sounds of summer and take part in activities on a ramble around Needham Lake. Children £2, accompanying adults are free.

Come and join the team on Wednesday afternoons between 12 – 3.30pm for a huge range of fun activities.

On Wednesday 10th August find out what lurks in the water and sweep the meadows for some amazing insets at A Bug's Life.

Find out all about trees and take part in games and crafts at "Wood You Be-leaf it" on Wednesday 17th August.

Delve into the past at Dig It, an archaeological discovery day. Meet an archaeologist and handle real artefacts. Use your detective skills to discover how people lived in the past.

Round off the summer holidays on Wednesday 31st August at Rockets Return and launch your own water powered rocket at the lake. Please bring an empty 2 litre lemonade bottle.

Contact the Mid Suffolk Countryside team or visit our website to find out more. Visit the Countryside section on the Mid Suffolk website for the 2011 diary. Alternatively, ring 01449 724633.

A physiotherapy practice to come to Cedars Park?

The latest news to come from Mid Suffolk District Council is that a planning application has been made to convert the property at Alpha 1, The Buntings, off Kestrel Drive from business use to use as a physiotherapy practice.

This will, hopefully, open up new options for those needing physiotherapy services in the village.

For more information, details of the planning application can be found here.

Faster broadband to come to Creeting St Peter?

BT has announced that it is to extend the availability of its next-generation ADSL broadband service to a further 2.5 million homes, around 900,000 of these in rural areas. The news comes as Ofcom reveals that the average speed of broadband in the UK is 6.8Mbps (megabits per second).BT had already pledged to roll out its faster ADSL technology to 80% of the UK and this latest announcement means it will now reach 90%, promising broadband speeds more than double what they are now. However, the technology that it is using relies on the older copper wire telephone network, and offers speeds of up to 20Mbps. Unfortunately, few people will achieve the maximum speed because ADSL degrades the further a house is away from the exchange.

Given that Creeting St Peter is reportedly seven miles from the nearest exchange, that does not augur well for significant improvements, with Cllr Mark Valladares noting the difficulties this presents to those wanting to run their businesses from home. "Rural communities need improved broadband services, from schoolchildren doing their homework using the internet, to the elderly relying on the internet to keep in touch with friends and loved ones, improved broadband speeds are a must. And if we are to secure the future of villages like ours, the ability to run a business remotely will encourage people to move here and put down roots.", said Cllr Valladares.

A Day for Play…family fun for everyone

A giant cardboard kingdom, junk funk, a spider mountain, stilt-walkers, tightrope walkers and impromptu performances are just some of the treats in store for those heading to Needham Lake this August for the second free children's festival, A Day for Play.

The event, which is funded by Mid Suffolk District Council, Big Lottery Fund and Activities Unlimited, will be held on Sunday August 7 from 11am – 5pm, and promises to be jam-packed full of fun and frivolity.

Children and families will be able to have creative and messy fun working alongside artists in a range of workshops including clay, tie-dye, giant painting, raft making and jewellery and fairy making. You can even create your own mini-garden or sculpture to take home with you.

There will more activities for under 5's too, with the introduction early years activity based on playing and learning about around animals, habitats and countryside with fascinating stories and puppetry.

Cllr Diana Kearsley, Mid Suffolk District Council's Portfolio Holder for the Community said: "We are really looking forward to seeing families having fun and joining in the many activities we have planned for our second year at Needham Lake. After a fantastic turnout last year with thousands of people attending last summer, we look forward to seeing families enjoying another action-packed day for all to enjoy."

Free car parking will be available on site.

For further information about the day, visit this website or call 01449 724633.