Latest news with #SuffolkCountyCouncil
BBC News
10 hours ago
- Business
- BBC News
Suffolk school shuts over 'mounting' costs and 'unpaid fees'
An independent school has permanently closed and declared a state of insolvency after facing "mounting financial pressures" and "unpaid fees", it UK School, based in Risby, near Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, announced the closure on its website on to the most recent government data, there were 68 pupils enrolled at the school, which has capacity for 160 children aged of two to 18.A spokesperson for Suffolk County Council said it would support parents in finding their children a place in state-funded schools. According to inspection documents, the Brooks Education Group acquired the site in 2015."This school has always been more than just a place of learning," said David Rose, the group's director."It has been a community of committed educators, supportive families, and talented young people. We are devastated to see it close."The school said it had made "tireless efforts" to address the issues, but would now enter voluntary liquidation, a decision which had "not been taken lightly"."The school has faced mounting financial pressures, including rising operational costs, reduced enrolment, unpaid fees, and the cumulative impact of wider economic challenges," its statement said. "After exploring every viable option to secure funding and support, the board concluded that closure was the only responsible course of action."The county council added that it would share appropriate sign posting and supporting guidance documents with affected parents. In February the school announced it was moving away from the national curriculum with pupils instead taking International Baccalaureate qualifications. In 2023 inspectors of the school raised several concerns over the school's leaders and managers in fulfilling their responsibilities as well as behaviour management and safeguarding arrangements. A progress inspection the following year found the school had addressed the concerns, Education Group has other schools in Canada and India. 'Devastated' Georgia McGhee lives near Bury St Edmunds and had recently enrolled her 13 year-old daughter at the says she was "devastated" when she heard the news of the closure. Ms McGhee said the family had taken "a lot of careful consideration" when choosing the school and that her daughter had been due to start in said she had paid term fees ahead of the new school year but had been told by the insolvency company that her family were "probably at the bottom of a very long line of people that need paying before us".She said there had been no indication from anyone at the school that a closure was likely and it had come as a "shock". Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
BBC News
a day ago
- Business
- BBC News
Suffolk's food waste to be processed at new Adnams facility
A county's food waste will be processed at a specialist facility after a deal was County Council and energy firm Bio Capital agreed a four-year contract to process food waste at a proposed anaerobic digestion (AD) plant in Reydon, near recently approved plant will be built at brewer Adnams' Distribution Centre, replacing its old facility, with weekly kerbside collections then beginning next year. Chris Chambers, in charge of waste at the council, said it meant the food waste would not go on "excessive journeys" to be processed. The county council approved plans for Adnams' plant last former AD site closed in 2017, according to planning documents, and will be demolished and replaced with the new to the council, around 31,000 tonnes of household food waste could be sent to the new plant each will then be processed to generate green fuel, also known as biomethane, and then turned into soil the moment food waste that is thrown in general rubbish is taken to the Energy from Waste site at Great Blakenham, near Ipswich, where energy is recovered to produce move is part of the government's Simpler Recycling initiative which will standardise recycling across all local authorities. 'Effective and efficient' Mr Chambers said finding a local solution meant that once food waste was collected it does not have to make "excessive journeys" to be processed."We have delivered an effective and efficient answer," he said."The food waste then has another life, being turned into renewable energy and nutrient-rich digestate that can be used to improve soil health. "This will benefit our local farmers by helping to maintain productive, sustainable farmland right here in Suffolk."He said he hoped the collections would make "people take notice of the amount of food they're throwing away" which could help them save money. Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
BBC News
2 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Suffolk County Council study to explore self-driving vehicles
Funding has been secured to explore how self-driving shuttle vehicles could be introduced into a county's transport County Council has been given £75,000 in government funding for a feasibility study to understand the public's perception around the safety and operations of driverless the study does not include trials with remote operators of these vehicles, it would inform future planning for Chambers, in charge of transport strategy at the council, said it was "committed to delivering a range of transport options" to meet changing needs. The study, titled the ADASTRA Feasibility Study, is one of 14 across the council has been working with Smart City Consultancy which operates a self-driving shuttle at BT Adastral Park near shuttle was built in New Zealand by Ohmio and can accommodate 15 people in total, but currently has a maximum seated capacity of eight with a safety council met with design experts to assess the technical, operational and regulatory requirements of incorporating self-driving shuttles into a future network of mobility hubs across the county. A series of public engagement events will take place across the county to gather feedback and raise awareness about autonomous technology. The funding has been secured through the Connected and Automated Mobility (CAM) Pathfinder Feasibility Studies Competition in support of the government's ambition to establish a £40bn CAM sector by 2040."The use of self-driving, environmentally friendly shuttles operating alongside traditional services as part of a Mobility Hub network is a key component of that strategy," Chambers said."ADASTRA will enable us to test our ideas with passengers and stakeholders, giving people the chance to see the shuttles in action and build out the longer-term business case." Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
BBC News
17-07-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Suffolk MP calls for 'urgent action' on school road safety
An MP has called for "urgent action" to improve road safety outside schools as she felt children were at serious risk every Riddell-Carpenter, Labour MP for Suffolk Coastal, has started a petition asking government to urge Suffolk County Council to put together a tailored road safety plan for every MP said she was "shocked" and "really touched" to hear children bring up this issue themselves during her school county council said it took road safety education "very seriously". "I visited schools across my constituency and I was really shocked that one of the things most of the children wanted to talk about in the rural primary schools was road safety," said Riddell-Carpenter."Naturally parents and teachers are concerned too, but it was hearing stories from the children and the genuine anxiety they had because they felt the roads around their primary schools weren't safe." Riddell-Carpenter said the tailored road safety plans would outline measures such as 20mph speed limits, appropriate crossings, enforcement and walking petition will run until the first week of September before being presented to said the petition was part of her plan to launch a national campaign later in the year seeking tighter laws surrounding road safety at council said it was already reviewing its criteria around approving the introduction of more 20mph speed limits outside schools, with a report due by the end of the year, reports the Local Democracy Reporting Service. Rachael Rudge, head teacher of Bucklesham Primary near Ipswich, said her school sat on a junction of two roads of 30mph and 60mph."Many of our parents have to park on the 60mph road on our boundary and cross that road to drop their child off. We have no safety barrier at our main pedestrian gate," she saidWhile the school has had no incidents involving a pupil, Ms Rudge said there had been some near misses with parents. School's programme The council said it would support schools on an individual basis "as necessary and within the resources available".A spokesperson said for over 20 years it had also run the successful Junior Road Safety Officer programme which was "an effective way to maximise the delivery of road safety awareness through peer-to-peer education from young people who know their local area".The programme is open to all primary schools and in the past year 61 schools had participated. Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
BBC News
15-07-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Suffolk split over revised plan for northern bypass
In February 2020, divisive plans to build a northern bypass to ease congestion in Ipswich and the surrounding areas were shelved after years of last week, the project was revived and approved when a Labour councillor's motion received cross-party support at the Conservative-led Suffolk County for the large new road intensified in the wake of the partial closure of the Orwell Bridge for repair works, which caused traffic the decision to put the plans back on the table has unnerved some residents in Witnesham – one of the small villages which the bypass could be built through. Villager Josephine Debnam, 83, said: "If it was direct from Felixstowe, then it might make a difference and stop the town from getting clogged up."But, no, I don't support a northern bypass because we have enough traffic around this area already without adding more to it – it's chaos." Shaun Farrell, who moved to the village two years ago from Ipswich, feared his house would have to be taken away from him if the project went ahead."It would help the town, I suppose, but I wouldn't want it to affect me," the 48-year-old told the BBC."We've just done loads to the house and we are doing it up, and if they were to just give us a set price and tell us to get out, then I wouldn't be very happy - I'd be gutted." Another villager, who has lived in the area for 20 years but did not wish to be named, said a northern bypass would "cause a lot of problems for an awful lot of people".She also raised concerns over the impact it could have on fauna and wildlife in the village."Why don't they build something under the bridge, something simple?" the 60-year-old said."Because this is going to be irreversible once they start putting concrete down and the traffic starts booming through."Nobody gives two monkeys about us, the people who have lived here for donkey's years – we'll just get kicked out basically." Some motorists have been particularly keen for the plans to be revisited since joint repair works started on the Orwell Bridge last scheme has resulted in lengthy delays for drivers going to and from work, and some businesses have also reported suffering financial Highways, however, said the work, costing £6m, was essential, but appreciated that disruption had been caused. "It's really frustrating because at the moment we are prisoners in our own homes [because of the traffic]," said Roger Mayhew, 73, who lives in Ipswich but spoke to the BBC while in Witnesham."This morning, coming here, there were queues all around, and there's all these big developments going on and extra traffic with no infrastructure."So something has got to give soon, but nothing is going to happen overnight." The bypass was welcomed by some business owners who travel to and from the village of Witnesham, and believed it was the best way Michael Hancock, 64, said: "I have been coming from north Ipswich to here and back every day for years, and when the bridge is closed, it is laughable."But you can solve this problem, so I have never understood why they wouldn't do a northern bypass."Roads are built all around the UK and at some point they will disadvantage some people and advantage other people – but you don't want to be in a traffic jam your whole life." Neil Austin, who has been the owner of the village's Barley Mow pub for eight years, also believed the road is needed to put an end to the gridlock."I travel through Ipswich to get to work, and it is an absolute nightmare, and it's only going to get worse, so I think we should have the bypass," the 56-year-old said."People don't want to move with the times, and things are moving fast around here, but wherever they put it, it's going to impact someone somewhere – but that's life." The plan for a northern bypass had been discussed for a number of years, but confidence in it grew when Suffolk County Council seriously considered it several years 2019, the county council launched a public consultation to gauge public interest in the relief road, which it hoped would mitigate traffic possible routes were proposed that would link the A14/A140 and the A12, but, in order to gain government funding, 15,000 new homes needed to be local authorities failed to agree on housing, the plans were the road could still come to fruition, after councillor Sandy Martin put a motion before Suffolk County Council calling for it to be was then amended to include a "suite of options", not just a "binary" northern bypass solution, before it was ultimately approved. "We cannot afford to have Ipswich brought to a complete standstill every time the bridge is shut, we cannot afford as a county to see Felixstowe downgraded," said Martin."We cannot afford as a country to see the expensive delays and disruptions to this nation's major trade route without any mitigation measures taken." What happens next? While the motion has been approved and singles a renewed cross-party commitment to finding a solution to traffic issues in Ipswich, nothing will happen overnight. A new mayor-led authority for Norfolk and Suffolk is in the process of being established as part of Downing Street's local council devolution mayor will not be elected until May 2026, so it is unlikely any progress will be made until after that part of the motion, a letter will also first have to be sent to the government, and it will have to consider whether it is willing to fund the project. A Department for Transport spokesperson said: "We are committed to supporting reliable, safe transport links in Suffolk and beyond, and are investing £24bn over the next four years to maintain and improve roads across the country."While works to improve safety on the Orwell Bridge have increased congestion, some closures remain necessary to protect road users and maintain vital routes.". Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
