Trimley St Martin Parish Council

 

New website and contact details for Trimley St Martin Parish Council

Welcome to the new look website for Trimley St Martin Parish Council. It has been updated to ensure it has all the information you might need about our wonderful Parish. Please do have a look around to familiarise yourself with where things are. Also, please note the new 'Reporting Tools' section which links you through to the relevant authorities to report any concerns/issues. The 'Our Parish' section covers all information on the Parish including walks and footpath maps, a gallery, links to the village recorders blog and more.

The Parish Clerk also has a new email address. Please use the new email address, but don't worry - there is a re-direction on the old address for the time being. The new email address is clerk@trimleystmartin-pc.gov.uk

Annual Parish Meeting and ConsultationMemorial Hall Extension Questionnaire - Results

Thank you everyone who completed the questionnaire. The results have been collated and can be viewed by clicking the link below.

Memorial Hall Extension Survey Results

 

Upcoming High Road Closure

High Road is to be closed between 7th April 2025 - 21st April 2025. Full details can be found at Causeway one.network The below map has been provided to the Parish Council regarding the diversion in place. Any questions regarding the road closure should be directed to Suffolk Highways.

Diversion Map

 

The below email was received by the Parish Council recently...

''We wrote to you last year with the news that CityFibre had been awarded the Project Gigabit contract for Suffolk. Project Gigabit is the government’s flagship £5 billion programme to enable hard-to-reach communities to access lightning-fast gigabit-capable broadband. The four-year programme will see around 136,000 premises across Suffolk and parts of surrounding counties connected to our fibre-to-the-premises network.

We wanted to let you know that the initial planning phase is complete and that work is about to start. Work begins in the area between Ipswich and Felixstowe over the coming weeks. As we move from area to area, we will let local relevant councillors and parish councils know ahead of time.

The contractor carrying out the work on our behalf is OCU Utility Services. Wherever possible, existing duct and pole infrastructure will be used to reduce the amount of construction required. However, new infrastructure will be needed and we are working closely with the council’s highways team to coordinate any work that is required.

Why is this work so important? In a rapidly changing world, we rely more and more on digital connectivity and the UK needs to ensure its residents and businesses can cope with future demands. This is not just about being able to better browse the internet or stream television programmes. There are many other factors to consider such as:

• Households have an ever-increasing number of internet connected devices like smart speakers, domestic appliances, heating control systems and doorbells.

• Smart TVs and gaming consoles become more and more sophisticated requiring faster internet speeds.

• The Covid 19 pandemic has demonstrated how important fast and reliable broadband is. Essential services such as healthcare and education are now increasingly online and regular homeworking has become the norm for many.

• When buying a house the speed of the internet is now one of the top purchasing factors.

If you would like to know more about our build process, please visit cityfibre.com/build. Our latest project information, including an FAQ and a way to register for updates is available at www.cityfibre.com/projectgigabit. When it’s time to order services, residents and businesses will also be able to choose from a range of internet service providers.

If you have any immediate questions then please let us know, preferably via Contact_CityfibreSouth@cityfibre.com. We will provide further updates as the build progresses.''

2024/25 Parish Council Budget

We have been working hard to keep increases on the Parish Council tax to a minimum given the financial burden on many of our residents already struggling through the cost-of-living crises. For several years the increase has been 0% and we have filled gaps from our reserves. However, this is not sustainable over the longer term and therefore it has been agreed to increase the Parish Council tax by 6.14% in the next financial year to deliver a balanced budget over the medium to longer term. This still requires the Parish Council to use some funds from the reserves. The increase will mean the total Parish Council tax precept would average £34.56 per Band D equivalent property per year and it will be an increase of £2.00 per property per annum from the current financial year.

Trimley St Martin Parish Council have many projects in the pipeline, and we are actively looking for grants for these so watch this space.

 

The answer to this is that there would no longer be any representation from local people regarding our Parish. If there is not a quorate number of Parish Councillors the Parish Council, as we currently know it, would not be viable. This would mean that the responsibilities and decisions that a Parish Council usually take would be passed to the District Council, and therefore there would be no 'local voice'. If you feel passionately about Trimley St Martin and it's future, then please do consider becoming a Parish Councillor. Please contact the Clerk for further information.

 

Trimley St Martin Parish Council are looking for Parish Councillors. To find out more information contact the Parish Clerk or click here

 

It has been brought to the attention of the Parish Council that there are some residents continually parking on grass verges in residential areas. Although this is not prohibited, we would like to remind residents to be considerate to their neighbours.

 

Trimley St Martin Parish Council have been made aware of a number of issues regarding parking outside the Primary School, particularly during school drop off and pick up times. Trimley St Martin Parish Council fully backs Trimley St Martin Primary School and would like to re-iterate their message.

'We are receiving, almost daily, comments and feedback from local residents regarding parking by parents at school drop off and pick up times.

A reminder that, when parking for morning drop off or afternoon pick ups, that it is essential that the Highway Code is adhered to. The double yellow lines were put in place to enable traffic to flow as freely as possible during these times and this cannot happen if people are parked on them illegally. This not only causes blockages and delays for other parents but also for residents who need to get in and out of their own driveways.'

 

Please could we ask that if you have any overhanging trees/hedges/trailing foliage that goes over a public footpath, that it is maintained and cut back.

Having these covering a footpath can make it very difficult for those with mobility issues, and those with pushchairs etc. With the colder weather it could also cause a trip hazard. The Parish Council thank you for your help with this.

The Parish Council have placed a Grit Bin by the footbridge in Old Kirton Road. We are actively looking for volunteers who would be willing to grit the footbridge in the cold weather. Please contact the clerk at clerk@trimleystmartin-pc.gov.uk for more information.

Whether you are worried about the cost of living, or you want to help those who are, East Suffolk Council have set up a dedicated website to provide information on the servces and support available as well as helpful tips and advice.

Please visit www.eastsuffolk.gov.uk/community/squeeze for more information.

 

 

Trimley St Martin Parish Council have put together a Welcome Pack for new residents to the Parish. To download a copy please go to the 'New Residents Welcome Pack' area of the website, or alternatively click on the below link.

Go to the blog page to learn more about the role of the Recorder and read her blog.