Summary

  • Updates for Wednesday, 21 June 2017

  • The first ever Suffolk Day is here!

  • Kids in wigs: Students mark Suffolk Day by dressing as Ed Sheeran

  • More than 6,000 people take part in Bury St Edmunds plan consultation

  • An Ipswich woman is fined £200 for discarded fag end

  1. Town cancels free summer festivals programmepublished at 17:26 British Summer Time 26 May 2020

    A multi-stage music day, mela and waterfront maritime festival all bite the dust due to coronavirus.

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  2. What the papers are saying in Suffolk...published at 16:52 British Summer Time 26 May 2020

  3. Zoos charity set to lose a third of jobspublished at 16:30 British Summer Time 26 May 2020

    The closure of two zoos has caused a charity a loss of about £1.5m.

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  4. Suffolk brewery all set to reopen pubspublished at 12:21 British Summer Time 26 May 2020

    The head of Adnams, external brewery says the company is ready to reopen its pubs, as soon as they get the nod from government.

    Sole Bay Inn, Southwold

    His comments come as some retailers in England have expressed concerns they won't have enough business to make it profitable for them to reopen.

    Last night, the government announced that most shops can welcome customers back on 15 June, while outdoor markets and car showrooms will be able to trade again next Monday.

    So far there are no reopening dates for restaurants, hairdressers and pubs, but Andy Wood, chief executive of Southwold-based Adnams, said the brewery's chain of about 45 pubs, external, has made preparations.

    "We are putting in screens to shield staff. We're going cashless, introducing technology for ordering and paying, to welcome back our customers with open arms in a safe way," he said.

    Mr Wood also appealed for clearer guidance on social distancing rules after the World Health Organisation stipulated a 1m separation rule compared to the UK's 2m specification.

  5. Head teacher says return will be 'really hard' for younger pupilspublished at 11:45 British Summer Time 26 May 2020

    A head teacher responsible for a cluster of Suffolk primary schools says staff are nervous about more pupils returning next week.

    children in primary schoolImage source, Getty Images

    Maria Kemble, executive head of two catholic primary schools, external in Bury St Edmunds and Sudbury, said: "They [pupils] won't be able to move around.

    "The'll be given their spot and be expected to stay there, which for reception and pre-school children is completely different to how they would normally be learning and that's going to be really, really hard."

    The Prime Minister confirmed plans for reception, year one and year six pupils to go back to school from 1 June.

    Teaching unions have also expressed concerns about safety.

  6. Harry Potter book printers to take on more staffpublished at 10:11 British Summer Time 26 May 2020

    The book printers that produced the bestselling Harry Potter series is recruiting staff again after not taking on any new roles for the past two and a half months during lockdown.

    Clays, external, based in Bungay in Suffolk, employs about 800 staff and is looking to take on 25 new people.

    Paul Hulley, its chief executive, said: "Online book sites are trading very well and trade is above expectations."

    printing of booksImage source, Clays
  7. Nurse shares lockdown journey of carrying tripletspublished at 10:41 British Summer Time 25 May 2020

    The 29-year-old discovered she was having triplets just as the coronavirus outbreak reached the UK.

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  8. Theatre awarded £35k to survive shutdownpublished at 12:44 British Summer Time 23 May 2020

    A theatre has received a "wonderful moral boost" after being awarded a £35k grant from the Arts Council of England, to help it survive the coronavirus crisis.

    The Marina Theatre in Lowestoft, external, Suffolk, said: "This is a difficult time for regional theatres, and whilst this grant will likely not be the answer to all of our problems – it’s a really strong start.

    "We will be back", it added.

    Pantomime photoImage source, Lowestoft Marina
  9. Skatepark and public toilets to reopenpublished at 15:58 British Summer Time 22 May 2020

    Local Democracy Reporting Service

    For those who want to get out and about this weekend without discomfort public toilets have been reopened in some Ipswich open areas following the coronavirus lockdown, the borough council , externalsaid.

    The riverside skatepark has also been reopened with new signs displaying social distancing reminders.

    Major's Corner public toilets, Ipswich

    Five of the council’s public toilets, at Major's Corner (pictured), Christchurch Park, Holywells Park, Lawn Cemetery and Millennium Cemetery will be open between 10:00 and 16:00 initially.

    Disabled toilets will be open on a strict "one person in, one person out" basis. The council confirmed there would be sanitising for cubicles after each use.

    A council spokesman said: "These are considered to be those which are used more frequently, where there are hand-washing basins, where we believe at this point in time there is a demand and where can supply resource to regularly sanitise them."

    Ipswich's riverside skatepark
  10. Woman's death at pub party 'not suspicious'published at 13:22 British Summer Time 22 May 2020

    A woman who was initially arrested on suspicion of murder will face no further action.

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  11. Identity of baby found at waste site still unknownpublished at 13:21 British Summer Time 22 May 2020

    The cause of the newborn girl's death also remains "undetermined", an inquest in Suffolk hears.

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  12. Ipswich road layouts could change to aid social distancingpublished at 12:23 British Summer Time 22 May 2020

    Local Democracy Reporting Service

    Some road layouts in Ipswich town centre could change under proposals to enable greater social distancing.

    IpswichImage source, Geograph/Adrian Cable

    Ipswich Borough Council, external is working with Ipswich Central, external business group, police and county council on a plan to begin opening up the town centre to more people from 1 June.

    Currently the only stores open are those deemed essential.

    Full details are due to be revealed on 29 May, but discussions are understood to include managing pedestrian flow and whether some narrow alleyways would need to close or be one-way only. How deliveries and rubbish collections are managed will also be considered.

    Labour borough council leader David Ellesmere said: "Plans are under way to follow government guidance and reopen the town centre – when the time is right."

  13. EFL to keep promotion and relegationpublished at 15:04 British Summer Time 21 May 2020

    Promotion and relegation will remain in the English Football League if seasons are ended amid the coronavirus crisis.

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  14. Coastguard warns of cliff dangerpublished at 11:40 British Summer Time 21 May 2020

    People are being urged to stay off cliffs where tonnes of sand are falling every day.

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  15. National Trust parks opening - but parking reservations requiredpublished at 08:15 British Summer Time 21 May 2020

    The National Trust is opening several of its coast and countryside parks in the East of England this Bank Holiday weekend, but visitors must book a car parking space first.

    Wicken FenImage source, Geograph/Christine Johnstone

    Some venues, including Wicken Fen in Cambridgeshire, have already reached capacity.

    On its website, external, the trust said: "For some of our larger car parks, we’ve introduced a booking system to help manage visitor numbers and maintain safe social distancing."

    Other venues opening include Blickling Hall and Felbrigg Hall in Norfolk as well as Dunwich Heath and Beach in Suffolk.

    Smaller, local car parks not require booking.

  16. Concerns over Suffolk beach visitorspublished at 17:44 British Summer Time 20 May 2020

    A woman has said a stretch of Suffolk beach needs to have more police patrols after an influx of visitors following the loosening of lockdown measures.

    Cars parked at Sizewell

    Tracey Cross, who lives close to Sizewell beach, said she spotted people not maintaining social distancing and lots of campervans and cars parked up.

    "We do have the police down there once in a while - it doesn’t hurt them to know it’s going to be a busy weekend to be patrolling it a lot more," she said.

    However, visitors who spoke to the BBC said the vast majority of people appeared to be observing social distancing guidelines, following the re-opening of a cafe and toilets.

  17. EFL proposes League One & Two salary cappublished at 11:18 British Summer Time 20 May 2020

    League One and Two clubs could be placed under salary cap restrictions by new English Football League proposals.

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  18. League One clubs resume season debatepublished at 10:12 British Summer Time 20 May 2020

    Portsmouth say the difference in size between League One clubs makes it difficult to agree whether to continue or end their season.

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  19. Coffey urges unemployed to pick fruit and vegpublished at 09:32 British Summer Time 19 May 2020

    MP Therese Coffey said people who have lost their jobs in the coronavirus crisis could find roles in the agricultural sector this summer.

    Fruit pickerImage source, PA Media

    The number of people claiming unemployment benefit in the UK soared last month, the first full month of the coronavirus lockdown.

    The Suffolk Coastal MP and Work and Pensions Secretary told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "I think we should be prepared for the unemployment rate to increase significantly."

    But, after insisting "there are a substantial number of vacancies already", she was pressed on where the vacant roles are.

    "There's an aspect of retail," she said. "There are quite a lot of vacancies or employment wanted in our agricultural sector to help in our near future.

    "Those very much need to be filled as well."

  20. Suffolk MP defends accusations government too slow over testingpublished at 08:50 British Summer Time 19 May 2020

    The Suffolk Coastal MP and Secretary of State for Work and Pensions has been defending the government's policy on introducing testing for Covid-19.

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    Therese Coffey said anyone more than five years old who was showing symptoms could now get tested for the virus.

    The government has made increased testing one of its five goals that must be met in order to leave lockdown. Its target is to test 200,000 people a day by the end of the month.