Minutes of the Meeting
Minutes of Gt Blakenham Parish Council meeting held on Thursday 8th January 2026 at Parish Rooms.
- Present
- Chair Nick Leonard, Cllr Matt Powell, Cllr Debbie Kemp, Cllr Karen Wheeler, Karen Grimwood (Parish Clerk), SCC Cllr Chris Chambers and MSDC Cllr Adrienne Marriott, 2 Port One representatives and 10 members of public
- To receive and approve any apologies for absence – None
- Declaration of any pecuniary and non-pecuniary interests
- Councillor’s declaration of interest appropriate to any item on the agenda. Cllr Leonard 8a
- To receive written requests for dispensations for disclosable pecuniary interest (if any) None
- To grant any requests for dispensations as appropriate. None
- Co-option of parish councillor(s) / to sign declaration of acceptance. None
- Public Forum
- Port One Planning Application DC/25/05114 – Former Mason’s Quarry Site / S106 Mitigation
Jack Payne and Andrew Piper-Hunter attended the meeting on behalf of Port One to provide an update on progress with the Section 106 (S106) Agreement mitigations and to answer questions relating to the current site and the new outline planning application.
Port One advised that approximately 75–85% of the agreed mitigations have now been completed. The Port One Legacy Biodiversity Fund is now in place, and payment for the Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) was made in June 2025. The Little Blakenham Community Hall is close to completion. The Employment Skills and Payment Plan remains in progress. PV solar panels have been installed at Great Blakenham Village Hall, Claydon Village Hall and Bramford Village Hall. Installation at Little Blakenham Village Hall will take place once the building is complete, and the installation for Barham Parish Council is still pending.
Work on the Gipping Meadow Management Plan is ongoing and further discussions are awaited with the MSDC Biodiversity Officer. The land will be managed as a wildlife area, and clarification is still required as to whether grazing will also be permitted. With regard to the Port One minibus scheme, one 8-seater minibus is currently available and there are plans to purchase two additional 15-seater minibuses by February 2026. Progress has been significantly delayed but Port One expects delivery to proceed in stages. Potential uses include trips to and from Ipswich railway station and services to Ipswich, Needham Market and Stowmarket. Details still to be confirmed include service frequency, staffing, operating hours, battery capacity and whether services will run outside normal working hours. Port One confirmed that this mitigation will be delivered.
Drop-in consultation sessions for the outline planning application will be held on 12th, 13th and 14th January at Little Blakenham Village Hall, Claydon and Barham Village Hall, and Great Blakenham Village Hall. Members of the Port One team will be present to answer questions and listen to residents’ concerns. Display boards will present the proposals and residents will be able to complete a survey. Port One advised that the planning application process is expected to take at least 12 months before any development begins, and that the Planning Performance Agreement timescale could extend to 10–15 years, including reserved matters stages. Port One has been working with the Planning Department for the past six months. An online presentation is expected to be available by the end of January and approximately 4,000 newsletters will be distributed to residents with key information. Section 278 highway works for site access have been agreed, with completion anticipated in August or September.
Public asked whether work had already commenced at the quarry, as recent activity suggested that operations may have started. Further questions were raised about the potential impact on wildlife, the condition of local roads, and the expected increase in traffic. The Port One representatives explained that activity currently taking place relates to approved preparatory and mitigation works rather than full development. They stated that wildlife considerations are being addressed through agreed biodiversity mitigation measures and ongoing management planning. In response to concerns about roads and traffic, they advised that highway access and improvement works under the Section 278 agreement have been approved and are scheduled for completion later in the year, and that traffic impacts will be managed through the planning conditions and mitigation requirements.
- To approve the Draft Minutes of the Meeting of the Council held on 13th November 2025 – Approved
- To note the Clerk’s update from previous Meetings.
- Awaiting a response from landowner for leasing meadow land on Stowmarket Rd – Noted. Clerk to chase again.
- Planning
- To consider the following planning applications.
Reference Site Proposal DC/25/05114 Former Mason’s Quarry site Outline planning permission (with layout, scale, appearance and landscaping being reserved) for the extension of Port One Logistics Park. Comments by 23.02.2026 SCC/0165/25 MS Masons Materials Recycling Facility Bramford Road Great Blakenham Ipswich IP6 0LW Extension to the materials recycling facility to house additional plant for the processing of glass, with additional works including a side extension to the reception hall, external storage bays, a welfare building, ventilation and filter plant, fire-suppression system, fencing, and associated internal and external work. Cllrs had no objections to this application
- To note any planning determinations. – None Received
- To consider the following planning applications.
- Growth, Highways, and Infrastructure
- Note Footpath link between Barham & Gt Blakenham – PC noted that a newspaper article had been published regarding the railway crossing between Barham and Great Blakenham, discussing the possibility of Network Rail closing it. The Parish Council acknowledged the article but confirmed they have not been formally approached by Network Rail and are not aware of any confirmed plans at this time.
- Note Suffolk energy-from-waste facility 10-year report – Noted see attached report
- Note Port One Open day – The date of 14 January 2026 at Great Blakenham Village Hall was noted. Councillors will be present throughout the day. A survey will be available for visitors and will also be shared on social media.
- Governance
- Funding applications – Deferred to next meeting
- S106 Mitigations – Noted in 3a
- Note Government consultation and survey on LGR in Suffolk – Noted
- Precept Confirmation – The Cllrs considered and agreed the budget for the forthcoming financial year. Members approved a proposed increase in the precept of 5% to ensure all yearly costs and earmarked reserves would be covered. The completed precept request form was subsequently signed by the Chair and the Clerk for submission to the relevant authority within the required timescale
- Village Maintenance
- Street Lighting chalk Hill Lane – Suffolk Street Lighting reported that two units in Chalk Hill Lane had failed and are no longer manufactured, requiring replacement at a cost of £1,000. The Council agreed not to replace them at present but to review later in the year. The Clerk was asked to challenge the annual maintenance (£15.16 per unit) and energy (£68 per unit) charges, as the lights are not in use.
- Note Whip Street noise issues
- Future meetings
- To note invitation for items to be considered in the next meeting.
- To note the date of the next scheduled Meeting on 12th February 2026 and any items for the agenda.
Karen Grimwood -Email: clerk@greatblakenhamparishcouncil.gov.uk
Date: 09/01/2026