Launch issue 12th - 18th June, 2026

This Week at a Glance

⚠️ HAVE YOUR SAY — Joint Local Plan scoping consultation open until 31 July 2026

IN THE CHAMBER — Mid Suffolk ends 2025/26 with General Fund surplus of £4.6m; housing account surplus of £433k

IN THE CHAMBER — Both cabinets note five areas of non-compliance following Building Safety Regulator inspection

IN THE CHAMBER — Joint Air Quality Strategy adopted by both councils

PLANNING WATCH — National Grid begins Stage 11.1 works at Bramford Substation under the 2024 Order

PLANNING WATCH — B8 storage and distribution approved at Mendlesham; pig rearing facility proposed at Hoxne

ON THE HIGH STREET — Medical centre approved at Boxford; EV charging consent at Hadleigh; garden centre retail conversion at Sudbury

THE COUNTDOWN — 651 days to 1 April 2028

NUMBER OF THE WEEK: £4.633m — Mid Suffolk's General Fund revenue surplus for 2025/26, against a budgeted surplus of £2.383m.

IN THE CHAMBER

Mid Suffolk ends 2025/26 with £4.6m General Fund surplus

Mid Suffolk Cabinet met on 9 June and approved the end-of-year financial accounts for 2025/26. The General Fund produced a revenue surplus of £4.633m against a budgeted surplus of £2.383m — a favourable variance of £2.25m. The council's total reserves stood at £49.2m at 31 March 2026. Cabinet approved a series of reserve transfers, including £3.1m to the Mid Suffolk Plan Implementation Reserve from the dividend received from Gateway 14 Ltd, and £976k from Extended Producer Responsibility income to the Waste Reserve to fund new waste services in 2026/27.

For residents, the healthy reserves position provides a financial buffer as the council approaches transition to the new unitary authorities in 2028. The Gateway 14 dividend reflects income from the council's wholly owned commercial subsidiary.

Source: Mid Suffolk Cabinet minutes, 9 June 2026

Housing account ends year £1.7m better than forecast

The same Cabinet meeting approved the Housing Revenue Account outturn for 2025/26. The council recorded a deficit of £433k against a budgeted deficit of £2.108m — a favourable variance of £1.675m. Capital programme spend on housing was £11.272m, some £13.338m below the £24.61m budget, with £2.55m carried forward to 2026/27. The HRA funds maintenance and improvement of council-owned housing stock in Mid Suffolk.

Source: Mid Suffolk Cabinet minutes, 9 June 2026

Building Safety Regulator finds five areas of non-compliance

Both Babergh and Mid Suffolk Cabinets noted the outcome of a Building Safety Regulator inspection on 9 June. The regulator identified five areas of non-compliance. Both councils have an internal action plan in place to address the findings by July 2026. Cabinet noted that the number of non-compliances was limited given the service-wide scope of the audit, and that the inspection provides independent assurance of the councils' current arrangements.

The Building Safety Regulator was established under the Building Safety Act 2022. Its role includes overseeing the safety of buildings, particularly higher-risk residential buildings.

Source: Cabinet decision MCA/26/6, 9 June 2026

Joint Air Quality Strategy adopted

Both cabinets approved a new Joint Air Quality Strategy on 9 June. The strategy sets out objectives and actions aimed at reducing emissions across Babergh and Mid Suffolk and will now be published on the councils' website. Air quality is a statutory local authority responsibility.

Source: Mid Suffolk Cabinet minutes, 9 June 2026

Former Fisons site, Bramford: key decision taken in closed session

Mid Suffolk Cabinet approved a recommendation relating to the former Fisons site at Paper Mill Lane, Bramford on 9 June. The item was taken in confidential session under the Local Government Act 1972, and the detail of the decision is not in the public record. Any future development at this site will require planning consent through the public process.

Source: Mid Suffolk Cabinet agenda item MCA/26/9, 9 June 2026

PLANNING WATCH

This section covers applications validated and decisions issued in the week commencing 8 June 2026. Full list at planning.baberghmidsuffolk.gov.uk

National Grid starts work at Bramford Substation (NSIP — statutory commencement notification)

National Grid has submitted notification of the commencement of Stage 11.1 — Works at Bramford Substation — under The National Grid (Bramford to Twinstead Reinforcement) Order 2024. This is the formal notification required by Schedule 3, Requirement 3(4) of the Order before construction begins on this phase of the consented works. The Bramford to Twinstead reinforcement is a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project that will increase electricity transmission capacity across Suffolk and Essex, supporting connections for offshore wind generation.

Source: Application DC/26/02513

B8 storage and distribution approved at Mendlesham (Change of use — commercial)

Full planning consent has been granted for the change of use of an existing building to storage and distribution (Use Class B8), with retention of existing hardstanding and access, at The Siding, Oak Farm Lane, Mendlesham. Mendlesham sits near the A140 transport corridor south of Norwich.

Source: Application DC/26/02391

Pig rearing building and drainage lagoon proposed at Hoxne (Agricultural — new infrastructure)

A full planning application has been submitted for the erection of a pig rearing building, a concrete pad, and construction of a new drainage lagoon at Red House Lodge, Redhouse Farm Road, Hoxne. Agricultural development of this scale — including drainage lagoon infrastructure — requires planning consent and will be assessed against rural planning policies.

Source: Application DC/26/02450

Parts store proposed at Great Blakenham industrial estate (Commercial — new floorspace)

A planning application has been submitted for the erection of a new parts store at Unit 1, Addison Way, Great Blakenham — an established industrial location adjacent to the A14.

Source: Application DC/26/02449

Gateway 14 S106 Final Completion obligation confirmed (S106 compliance)

Mid Suffolk District Council has confirmed that the Final Completion clause of the Section 106 planning obligation attached to planning permission DC/21/00407 has been met at Gateway 14, Stowmarket. Gateway 14 is the council's wholly owned 67-hectare employment, innovation, and logistics park adjacent to the A14. Separately, construction on the £18m Stowmarket Innovation Gateway at the same site is now complete and the centre is ready to open.

Source: Application DC/26/02306

Solar PV prior approval refused at Brome industrial site (Prior approval — non-domestic solar)

An application for prior approval for the installation of 153kW of solar photovoltaic panels on the Bartrums Trumbar building at Brome Industrial Park has been refused. A refusal at prior approval stage means the installation cannot proceed without a full planning application.

Source: Application DC/26/01583

East Anglia Three: out of hours working continues (NSIP — construction)

Two out of hours working notifications are active for the East Anglia Three onshore cable route. Nightshift working (19:00–07:00) at the EA3 Onshore Converter Station, Bramford continues to 10 July. Saturday daytime working on the cable route runs through June and July. East Anglia Three is a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project delivering offshore wind power to the national grid via the Mid Suffolk cable corridor.

Source: Applications DC/26/02487 and DC/26/02437

ON THE HIGH STREET

Medical centre approved at Boxford

Full planning permission has been granted for the change of use of a former part-residential, part-office building at Brookside, Ash Street, Boxford to a Class E(g) medical centre, with associated parking, external alterations, and part-cladding.

Source: Application DC/26/02462

EV charging totem signs approved at Hadleigh

Advertisement consent has been granted for two InstaVolt EV charging totems at the Starbucks site, Ellen Aldous Avenue, Hadleigh — one 3.8-metre sign and one 2-metre sign, both unilluminated.

Source: Application DC/26/02080

Garden centre wins retail unit conversion at Sudbury

Perrywood Garden Centre, Newton Road, Sudbury has received full planning permission to convert an existing store building into a retail sales area, with a new glazed automatic door replacing the existing roller shutter.

Source: Application DC/26/01603

THE COUNTDOWN

651 days to 1 April 2028.

On that date, Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Councils cease to exist. Three new Suffolk unitary authorities take over:

Western Suffolk — West Suffolk plus 21 Mid Suffolk parishes, plus Babergh (less 31 parishes)

Central and Eastern Suffolk — Mid Suffolk (less 29 parishes) plus East Suffolk (less 25 parishes)

Ipswich and South Suffolk — Ipswich plus 31 Babergh parishes, plus 8 Mid Suffolk parishes, plus 25 East Suffolk parishes

Transition Focus: The new Joint Local Plan begins

This week marks a significant planning milestone: both councils have launched their Joint Local Plan scoping consultation (5 June–31 July 2026). The new Local Plan will guide development in both districts to 2045 — extending well beyond Vesting Day 2028, and inherited by whichever new unitary authority covers each area. The next stage — consultation on proposed Local Plan content and evidence — is scheduled for January to February 2027, during the period when shadow authority elections are expected. This plan will shape land use and housing supply decisions for the next two decades.

Source: midsuffolk.gov.uk/joint-local-plan

Shadow authority elections: May 2027. Structural Change Order: expected summer 2026.

HAVE YOUR SAY

Joint Local Plan Scoping Consultation — closes 31 July 2026 ⚠️

Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Councils are consulting on the scope of their new Joint Local Plan — the document that will guide where homes, businesses, and infrastructure are built across both districts until 2045. This scoping stage invites views on the key challenges, opportunities, and priorities that should shape the plan. Residents, businesses, and parish councils can all take part.

Deadline: 31 July 2026.

Respond at: babergh.gov.uk/w/joint-local-plan-scoping-consultation

COMING UP

Babergh Full Council — Tuesday 23 June 2026, 5.30pm. Agenda to be published closer to the date.

Mid Suffolk Cabinet — Thursday 16 July 2026, 9.30am. Next scheduled Cabinet meeting.

Joint Local Plan consultation closes — 31 July 2026.

BSR action plan deadline — July 2026. Both councils have committed to addressing the five areas of non-compliance identified by the Building Safety Regulator.

HOW IT WORKS

What is a Section 73 application?

Several planning applications in this issue are described as Section 73 applications — variations to conditions on existing planning permissions. Under Section 73 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, an applicant can apply to vary or remove a condition on a permission already granted. The most common use is to amend approved plans — changing a building's layout, revising materials, or modifying access. The council decides whether the change is acceptable under current policies. A granted S73 creates a new permission sitting alongside the original; it is not a new application from scratch, but it is a substantive decision.

Source: Town and Country Planning Act 1990, Section 73 — legislation.gov.uk

DID YOU KNOW?

The word "kersey" — a coarse woollen cloth traded across medieval Europe — takes its name from the village of Kersey in the Babergh district. By 1262 it was being woven as far away as Andover, Hampshire. The village today has a population of around 350 people and a ford across the main street.

The Babergh & Mid Suffolk Briefing is published by Verified Brief. All information is drawn from publicly available sources including council minutes, planning records, procurement registers, and official government publications. Links go directly to primary source documents. Nothing in this newsletter constitutes opinion, legal advice, or political commentary.