East Suffolk Council

The council agreed to continue exploring how to fund a Lowestoft tidal barrier, including a public-private partnership approach and ongoing lobbying of central government. The debate linked the project to port, housing, regeneration and climate resilience outcomes, suggesting a major future capital opportunity if funding can be unlocked.

A major motion sought urgent capital support for the Housing Revenue Account, arguing that ageing stock, compliance costs, and borrowing limits threaten viability. The council resolved to lobby government for access to 25-year 0.1% loans for local councils, to support delivery of 500 social homes over five years, subject to business case.

Following Storm Babette, the council created its own resilience fund worth £500,000 to allow immediate support such as skips for flooded homes without waiting for county or central government processes. This is a direct disaster-response spending decision.

The committee approved three new beach huts and associated platforms on council-owned land near the Spa Pavilion in Felixstowe. The scheme was presented as a tourism-related development on land where beach huts historically stood, with conditions addressing coastal erosion vulnerability and flood response measures.

The subcommittee approved the new premises licence for TAP Social Bar, allowing alcohol, music, performances and late night refreshment from 08:00 to midnight, but only subject to the operating schedule, mandatory conditions and the agreed noise management plan. The decision emphasised that outdoor music must be kept to a minimum after 21:00 and that the applicant must respond to complaints and involve environmental protection or licensing officers if issues persist.

Cabinet received an update on the council’s statutory housing regulatory duties and the progress of the improvement plan following the C3 grading from the Regulator of Social Housing. The focus is on strengthening compliance, improving service delivery and preventing recurrence of safety and quality failings.

The meeting concerned a contested new premises licence for TAP Social Bar in Saxmundham, including late-night alcohol, music, performances and late night refreshment. The key issues were outdoor music, noise management, residential amenity, and the relevance of nearby licensed premises. The subcommittee ultimately granted the licence subject to the operating schedule and agreed noise management plan, noting no objections from responsible authorities and no complaints on the applicant’s existing Social Bar licence.

The committee considered several planning applications with procurement-relevant implications, including a major worker-accommodation scheme for Sizewell C, a retirement housing development with a contested viability-based affordable housing contribution, and the Council’s sale/reconfiguration of pier forecourt land to enable pavilion improvements. Members also approved smaller works at a heritage farm, a raised deck for accessibility, and a smallholding use, while deferring the Sizewell C accommodation scheme for a site visit and further scrutiny of welfare, traffic, and applicant responses.