News from the Chairman

Summer 2009 (report from the Clerk)

Cllr Barry Jones was elected as the new Chairman at the AGM on the 11th 2009 with  Cllr Mark Palman as the Vice Chairman.  Sincere thanks go to Cllr John Fisher the retiring Chairman who continues to work tirelessly for the Town Council and remains a Councillor.

Spring 2009

It is hard to believe that we are already nearing the end of my second term of office as Chairman, and it is time to pen another foreword for Saxmundham News.  The Council elects a Chairman annually at its May meeting.  Although there is no legal limit on the number of years a person may hold the post, in Saxmundham we have traditionally served two years, so perhaps I will soon be able to retire to the back benches.

I hope that the spring weather we are enjoying while I write this will still be with us when you read it.  As you will see our Saxmundham in Bloom team are already busy fundraising and preparing for this years display and I am looking forward to another colourful year.

On page 11 of Saxmundham News you can read about the work being done to rejuvenate our play areas and the visits we are now receiving from the 'Go with the Flow' youth bus.

You will find details of the programme which has been arranged for your enjoyment over the St. George's weekend on our events page of this website.

May I also invite you to attend our Annual Town Meeting at 7.15pm on 20th April when we receive reports from the schools and other organisations, and you will all have the opportunity to raise issues of concern.

Autumn 2008

I would like to start this foreword by thanking all those involved in getting Saxmundham blooming again this year. As you will have seen, we have received Silver Gilt in our category of the Anglia in Bloom Awards; a step up on last year's Silver. Well done to all of you. The Saxmundham in Bloom team will always welcome additional help, so if you wish to contribute please contact the Clerk.

  I also want to thank Victoria Burdett for all she has done during her term as Councillor, particularly for the younger people in the town. She has recently resigned for personal reasons and we have co-opted David Willett of the White Hart Hotel to fill the vacancy.

  Like many other local authorities we are spending a lot of time deliberating on how the Boundary Committee's proposals for reorganising local government in Norfolk and Suffolk will affect us. By the time you read this, the consultation period will be over and the Committee will be preparing their report for the Government who will decide early next year what action, if any, to take on the matter.

  Finally, I hope I will see many of you at the events planned for the sixth Annual Saxmundham Arts and Entertainments Festival, of which you will find more details on pages 18 & 19 

Spring 2008

I hope when you read this we are still enjoying as good weather as we have been up to the time of writing it. The early spring is getting us in the mood for doing things and the Saxmundham in Bloom team have been busy raising money for this year's display. At their wine tasting in February, Alan George, as well as being an excellent caretaker for the Market Hall, revealed hidden talent by winning the competition with his knowledge of grape varieties.
In January three of us attended the Felixstowe Youth Forum to observe proceedings there with a view to starting something similar in Saxmundham. These meetings are run by the young people themselves and we were very impressed with what they are doing. We have also met with local schools and will report on this project in the next issue.
We have just co-opted Bryony Peall onto the Council to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Sheridan Trotter-Langlois. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Sheridan for his contribution and welcome Bryony to the role.
In the centre of this edition you will find a pull-out supplement with a programme of the events arranged to commemorate St. George's Day. As this falls on a Wednesday, these take place on the previous weekend, 18th to 20th April. Please do try to support the events that the organisers are working hard to put on for you.
We are currently planning an information point to be placed outside the Market Hall for the benefit of both residents and visitors. In the meantime the Town Clerk will be pleased to assist you with your enquiries.

January 2008

Welcome to our new edition of Saxmundham News which we have brightened with some colour. I would like to express our heartfelt thanks to former Councillor Gerry Wright for all the work he has put into the compiling of this magazine for the last five years. With the new electronically produced version we have brought the production in-house and it is now being done by the Clerk (as if she didn’t already have enough to do). See the latest news here.

I recently had the pleasure of attending the 100th birthday celebrations of Saxmundham resident Jimmy Balls. Mr Balls was chairman of Saxmundham Urban District Council in 1957/58, the year in which Wilfred Pickles recorded an edition of his radio programme “Down Your Way” in the Market Hall.

We now need to look forward to the next hundred years and Councillor Moye has suggested we initiate a Youth Council for Saxmundham. To this end we will shortly be attending a Youth Council meeting in Felixstowe to see how things are run there. The idea is that the new Youth Council will have some say in the spending of part of our budget thereby directing it to some of the things that they themselves would like.

By the time you read this we will have decided the Town Council precept (our portion of the Council Tax) for the coming year and this is likely to be in the region of £47,000.

May I take this opportunity of wishing you all a very Happy New Year and we look forward to assisting you with any matters that may be causing you concern.

John Fisher (Chairman)
Saxmundham Town Council