Forest Heath District Council, Suffolk County Council and Newmarket Town Council have recently come together to form a partnership to talk about some of the challenges that are facing Newmarket.

During September, there will be a programme of events presenting and showcasing Suffolk as a great place to live and do business.  As well as highlighting the success of the Anglian Local Enterprise Partnership in its first year, there will be a focus on the energy sector and enterprise zone, as well as our other key industries.  Our Raising the Bar (education and skills) project, apprenticeships, and hopefully a tour of the energy coast involving a business minister, will all feature.

In a move to find ways of cutting back-office costs as well as duplication between public sector organisations, the county council is currently exploring a new approach to the provision of a whole range of back-office functions, like IT, personnel and payroll.Our current arrangement ends in 2014.  To plan for what happens next, we are talking to all the other local councils in Suffolk, to see if collectively, we can join forces and have a shared approach to back office services.  Clearly each council has its own arrangements and it may not be possible for all of them to commit to the plan, in which case SCC can investigate going out to the market to find an appropriate partner to work with, with the potential for other councils to join us.  The cabinet is set to make a final decision on the way forward at its meeting in October.

Councillors at Forest Heath District Council have been allocated £2500 a year to support grass-roots community projects in their local areas.

Plans for a new Joint Management Team working across Forest Heath and St Edmundsbury councils will go before councillors next week. 

As part of his preparations for the Newmarket Cavalry Charge, West Suffolk MP Matthew Hancock has ridden out today with the racehorse trainer, Michael Bell. Matthew rode out at 7.00am this morning with Michael, who has trained over 1000 winners in his career. 

Responsibility for the day-to-day running of the county’s library services will be transferred to Suffolk’s Libraries Industrial and Prudential Society (IPS).

Congratulations to the lucky winners of the Conservative Summer Draw and a big thank you to all members who bought tickets.

 A very successful Open Primary Meeting was held in Ipswich on Saturday 21st July, enabling voters the chance to have their say on the Conservative Candidate for the up coming Police & Crime Commissioner Election.

A new approach to the way home-to-school transport is provided in the parts of Suffolk with free schools has now been agreed