Image source, East Suffolk Council

Anglian Water engineers have begun preparations ahead of the installation of Lowestoft's new flood defences, which are expected to start later this year.

Trial holes will be dug in three places so the water company can confirm which water and sewage pipes need to be moved or diverted.

Anglian Water says its work on the vital infrastructure project, external will mean traffic management will be in place at sites on Hamilton Road, Waveney Road and Station Square.

During the December 2013 tidal surge, some 160 homes and businesses in the Suffolk seaside town were flooded.

East Suffolk Council said its new scheme will reduce the risk of 500 homes and businesses being flooded by the sea, rivers or extreme rainfall.

There may be no Wimbledon this year, but those desperate for some tennis can watch or play the game on brand new courts at the Abbey Gardens in Bury St Edmunds.

Image source, West Suffolk Council

Two courts will be available from 1 July.

John Griffiths, leader of West Suffolk Council, external, said: "It has long been our ambition to replace the old courts and move them to a more suitable setting within the gardens.

"It is perhaps particularly important at this time, when many of us may have been struggling to get enough exercise, that there are these opportunities to enjoy sport for our physical as well as mental health."

The authority invested £263,000 in the extension of the public gardens into the former Eastgate nursery, which includes the new public tennis courts, with funding help and approval from English Heritage.

Titan Tennis will be offering coaching sessions, external on Saturday mornings, with players asked to ensure they follow social distancing guidelines.

£1.3m is committed to local facilities as housing gets planning permission for a second time.

To enable better social distancing on Mondays, Epping market traders will be able to park their vehicles in the under-used civic offices car park behind the Conder Building.

But, following the ease of lockdown and the gradual increase in shoppers, Epping Forest District Council, external plans to restart car park enforcement with penalty charges resuming from today.

Image source, Google

NHS critical and social care workers can continue to park for free by displaying a permit that can be acquired by visiting NHS Free Parking, external.

Nigel Avey, cabinet member for environmental and technical services, said: "Enforcement was reduced to focus on dangerous parking in all our car parks towards the end of March.

"We did not seek to publicise this because we wanted to encourage people to uphold the Government guidance to Stay at Home, Protect the NHS and Save Lives, rather than facilitate unnecessary travel and parking."

Patrick Byrne
BBC News

Work is due to start next week on beach huts along the Essex coast after several projects were put on hold due to the pandemic lockdown.

In Brightlingsea, work to recover beach huts which had been moved by exceptionally high tides early in the year will now resume today, Tendring District Council, external said.

In Frinton, work on replacing bases of beach huts at The Leas will resume.

Meanwhile, work to secure a cliff slippage in Holland-on-Sea, in the York Road/Cliff Road area, will also start next week.

This will see some beach huts moved to clear the area for work to take place.

Alex Porter, cabinet member for leisure and tourism, said: "We are sorry for the disruption this work will lead to, but it is necessary to ensure the safety of passers-by and the engineering team while these projects are carried out.”

The RSPCA says the rescue "could so easily have ended in tragedy".

• The Eastern Daily Press, external is reporting that the county council is working on plans to reopen libraries, but it is tight-lipped about how they would run when they do
• The Evening News, external is reporting that a field of poppies near Norwich is attracting flocks of visitors armed with cameras
• The Lynn News, external highlights a plea made by a councillor to get residents to speak up in a fresh battle over housing plans for what might have been the site of a GP surgery

All toilets closed in line with government Covid-19 restrictions have reopened across the Tendring, external district in Essex.

Initially 12 toilets on seafronts were opened and now further measures have been put in place to allow all 31, external to be used again, the district council said.

Toilets will be available from 10:00 to 20:00 except for the block on the Greensward at the bottom of Connaught Avenue in Frinton--on-Sea (pictured), which will open at 08:00.

Image source, Google

"We understand there has been some frustration that our public toilets had been opened on a limited basis, but this has been necessary to make sure we have the appropriate safety measures in place," Michael Talbot, cabinet member for environment, said.

"I am glad that we can now open all of our public toilets, which we know are important for many people visiting our seafronts and town centres – particularly as non-essential retail outlets can now re-open."

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visit two independent firms affected by the coronavirus lockdown.

Hot meals are being delivered to vulnerable people who are unable to attend their usual day centre.

Money has been given to Over Day Centre, so it can feed people in Over and Cottenham, Cambridgeshire.

It has been made possible because of a grant of £10,000 from developers, Countryside to South Cambridgeshire District Council.

So far nearly 100 two course meals have been made.

Image source, South Cambridgeshire District Council

A second food scheme is being set up from a hub in Duxford, with meals being prepared by the C3 Church in Cambridge.

Shareholders are to discuss plans for nearly 1,700 new homes at Southend's Queensway estate.

Barrow are promoted to the English Football League after National League clubs vote to end the 2019-20 season.

Jessica Frank-Keyes
Local Democracy reporter

A tourist attraction is in “dire straits” and risks closing for good, due to the financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic, it has been revealed.

The Bure Valley Railway (BVR) in Norfolk is facing potential closure due to the financial effects of the lockdown, Broadland Distirct Council has been told.

The railway operators said it could also have to lay off staff if it is unable to reopen this summer.

Councillors have agreed to waive the railway’s rent payments until September and to work on a reopening strategy.

A report ahead of Conservative-controlled council's cabinet meeting, external revealed the railway had requested its rent be waived "for the whole of this financial year".

The railway pays the council £30,000 in annual rent and would have owed £22,455 in business rates – but the firm has been given full relief, in addition to receiving a £25,000 Covid-19 support grant, and furloughing some of its staff.

Jason Noble
Suffolk Local Democracy Reporter

A by-election to replace a councillor who resigned amid allegations of sharing racist posts on social media cannot take place until May next year.

Conservative Frank Warby resigned from West Suffolk Council on Monday, after his party started an investigation into posts the 79-year-old shared on his Facebook account.

Image source, West Suffolk Council

The posts shared were asking questions as to why no riots took place in the UK following the death of fusilier Lee Rigby, who was killed near the Royal Artillery Baracks in Woolwich, London, in 2013.

Mr Warby also shared posts about the removal of statues with links to slavery and Britain’s colonial history.

It means that a by-election will now need to be held for his Moreton Hall seat in Bury St Edmunds, but current social distancing restrictions means the election has been postponed until May 2021, although that could be moved forward if the government deems it safe.

Mr Warby said he was deleting his Facebook account and that he has "had enough" of people "picking on him".

He added: "I’m not a racist. I have never been a racist. I am not a racist person. I did not post these images, I shared someone else’s posts."

Parks may be open for exercise during lockdown but a reminder is being shared, not to use play equipment.

Thurrock Council in south Essex said it had received reports that climbing apparatus has been used in parks in Grays Beach, Quince Tree and Bonnygate Parks.

"Play equipment and outdoor gyms are taped off for everyone's safety - please don't use them," it said.

Jessica Frank-Keyes
Local Democracy reporter

Homelessness charities face a "desperate" fundraising situation due to the coronavirus lockdown, a councillor warned.

Image source, PA Media

It came as the South Norfolk Council voted to temporarily change its housing policies, external so people in temporary accommodation could be fast-tracked into permanent housing.

Conservative council leader John Fuller said it normally supported about a "handful" of homeless people.

"Three months in we’ve got 60-70 people we are looking after. It’s a material increase," he said.

Yvonne Bendle, cabinet member for health, housing and wellbeing, said: "We don’t have a lot of people who sleep rough, but we do have sofa surfers and people who sleep in cars or stay with friends and family.

"With Covid-19 that has had to stop and we had people we weren’t totally aware of."

Liberal Democrat councillor Vivienne Clifford-Jackson said she was concerned about "great stresses" on charities.

She said: "The usual fundraising opportunities have been stopped this year and it’s really getting rather desperate. We should bear that in mind going forward."

Planners create a "blueprint" to redevelop the site of a city's famous mustard factory.

An airshow that normally attracts about 250,000 people over two days has been called off due to coronavirus.

Clacton Airshow will not take place on 27 to 28 August, but will take to the skies again on 26 and 27 August, 2021.

Organiser Tendring District Council, external said the decision to postpone the event that has been running for 28 years was taken due to visitor safety.

Image source, Matt Cattermole/Tendring District Council

Alex Porter, portfolio holder for leisure and tourism, said: "Although lockdown restrictions have recently started to be eased, there is no possible way to maintain social distancing with more than 200,000 visitors gathering along our seafront.

“The airshow takes a lot of planning, and though we have held off a decision for as long as possible, we are now at the point where we either plunge headlong into organising, or postpone."

More than £19,000 has been awarded to 22 community groups in Cambridgeshire to help them through the pandemic.

Grants of between £250 and £1,000 from Huntingdonshire District Council's, external Community Chest is helping to pay for things like staff cover, replenishing stocks of personal protective equipment, food parcels, providing hot meals for vulnerable people and purchasing supermarket vouchers for those in need.

Image source, PA Media

Sarah Conboy, from Pinpoint, external, which was given £1,000 and helps parents who have children with additional needs and disabilities, said: "We’ve all found the challenge of a pandemic difficult, but for our parent carers, it’s been a really difficult and worrying time.

"This financial help means we can focus on our parent carers and make sure they have what they need to get them and their children safely through this pandemic."

The Norfolk and Suffolk health trust communications manager said it was 'saved' from scrutiny.