Welcome to Mid Suffolk District Council

Mid Suffolk District Council is based in the heart of East Anglia, providing a wide range of services for local people; our simple purpose is to make our services accessible for our community.

A to Z of our services
Council Tax Information 2009/10

Great Finborough is represented on Mid Suffolk District Council by John Matthissen, elected in May 2007. See articles below for his current news and concerns.

News from your District Councillor - John Matthissen
Planning
You may have read that further land bids have now been rejected through our ‘sieving’ process. I can confirm that none of the sites put forward in Great Finborough will be considered further, but the various bids in Onehouse are still favoured. In addition, the Forge Caravan Park, which already has permission for use as a gypsy and traveller site, is retained for that purpose. All these are as yet only recommendations, not decisions. There will be further opportunities for public comment and objection, but the likely outcomes are becoming clearer. I am very much in favour of the Mid Suffolk Pre-Application Service being used more to minimise disagreements between applicants, objectors and Parish Councils. It is intended to give you a clear picture of the likely outcome of a planning application if you make one. Our Pre-Application Service is intended to:

• Identify potential planning issues
• Clarify the information we will need to properly consider your application
• Highlight things that might need to be the subject of limitation or condition on any permission we grant
• Identify possible reasons why we might refuse to give you permission.

Further details on this are on the website at http://www.midsuffolk.gov.uk/Planning+and+Building+Information/ (select Planning Services).

The MSDC mapping system has a useful range of layers of info - a link to Gt. Finborough - http://www.midsuffolkdc.gov.uk/maps/?view=DEFAULT&sx=500&sy=400&px=601122&py=257564&r=400&showtab=layers.

Recycling
Mid Suffolk residents are still streets ahead when it comes to recycling and minimising their waste. Figures released by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which measures the level of waste for each council in the UK, show that Mid Suffolk District Council is still top of the national league for the amount of dry recyclables collected, for a third year running.

This year, Mid Suffolk residents have even managed to improve on the 2008/09 effort. When comparing the periods April-June 2008 with April-June 2009 our figures have increased from 38.67% to 42.31%.

A Mr Rudderham, writing in the Bury Free Press, criticised councils collecting green wastes, arguing that this should be composted where it originated. I have some sympathy with this, and would encourage householders to compost whenever they can. However, there are people living in flats and homes with very small gardens, and there are folk no longer as young and fit as they were. The MSDC brown bin scheme continues to be very popular so I support collection for those who need it. If you would like a brown bin, for which there is a charge, telephone 08456 066 045, or email customerservice@csduk.com or call in person at CSD in Ipswich Street, Stowmarket. To get in touch with me see below.

Please get in touch if you have a problem with which I, as your District Councillor, may be able to help. Telephone between 9am and 9pm, on 01449 771742, email to councillor@matthissen.net or write to me at 3 Wash Lane Corner, Great Finborough, Stowmarket IP14 3BJ.

Mid Suffolk Tenants Forum
8 Oak Close, Gt Finborough. Contact Sue Green: 01449 770620 or email sue1162@talktalk.net