Annual Report 2025-26
I am here to listen, to raise your concerns, and to be a voice for our communities.
It has been a busy, but fantastic first full year as your county councillor in the Hoxne and Eye division, and this report sets out what I have been getting on with on your behalf.
Locality Funding
I have used my locality budget to support a wide range of projects across our local villages, as well as reallocating funds from previously chosen projects where money could not be spent before it expired.
Stradbroke Tennis Club - Equipment for junior tennis open day and coaching - £500
Metfield Parish Council - Replacement laptop - £380
Fressingfield Shed - Kitchen improvements, sink and hot water - £500
Fressingfield Shed - Heating equipment - £500
Stradbroke Parish Council - Winding mechanism for village clock - £2,000
Denham Community Council - Kitchen equipment - £290
1st Fressingfield Scouts - Going Green project: solar panels at Scout HQ - £500
Eyes Open CIC - Commercial oven - £500
Eye Town Council - CCTV - £1,200
Laxfield Volunteers - Power tool for public rights of way maintenance - £3,000
Local Highways Funding
In addition to my locality budget, I have been able to use my highways budget for the year, and maximising the funding available by reallocating some previous funding to new projects where the money would have otherwise been lost. This money will then be used to support the following projects through the town or parish councils over th next 12 months.
Fressingfield - Speed indicator devices and posts - £1,000
Laxfield - Speed indicator devices and posts - £3,000
Mendham - Speed indicator devices and posts - £2,250
Metfield - Speed indicator devices - £1,500
Wilby - Gateways - £2,500
Eye - Speed indicator devices and posts - £2,250
My Work at Endeavour House
At county level, I have:
Voted to bring all 45 Suffolk libraries back under council control, protecting them for communities across the county
Voted against the council’s involvement in the EcoPower solar farm proposal, which would have seen 1,500 acres of agricultural land across Eye, Occold, Brome and neighbouring parishes removed from food production
Supported Suffolk’s devolution deal, paving the way for closer working between Suffolk and Norfolk on transport, infrastructure and economic development
Backed increased investment in Special Educational Needs and Disabilities provision, with 200 new specialist places planned across the county
Supported the £8m secured for new and improved bus services, with 17 new or enhanced routes launched in the autumn
Voted for a budget that protects frontline services, while the council works through significant financial pressure from rising demand in adult and children’s social care
Highways and Infrastructure
Highways remain a persistent concern across our area, from overdue resurfacing works to the replacement of fallen or rusting signposts. We have managed to have a number of roads fully resurfaced, and with more planned for works later this summer, it should mean that the overall driving experience for residents and visitors is vastly improved in some places.
LGR and Devolution Update
This year could have looked very different, as on the 7th of May we were due to have a Mayoral election for the new Norfolk and Suffolk Combined Authority. This was pulled by the government back to 2028 in December of last year, with them looking to prioritise the complete restructuring of local government in Suffolk before establishing the new combined authority. We put forward a strong case for a single unitary authority for Suffolk, and despite our best efforts,, the government has not listened to our proposals, and gone against their own guidance on LGR to pursue a three-unitary model for out county.
Residents of Hoxne and Eye will be placed into the new East Suffolk unitary authority, which will have elections in May 2027, before coming into force on the 1st of April 2028. As a result of the need to both reallocate existing district services to the new unitary authority, and now also the breaking up and disaggregation of the county council’s existing services, it is unfortunate that we will likely see a reduction in the quality of services available to residents, due to both the governments misguided decision making, and the subsequent lack of funding that is being made available to the new unitary authorities to deal with this transition.
It will be a difficult few years for local government in Suffolk, and so that I hope the government recognises this and steps in to provide the additional and necessary funding and resources that will be needed to not endanger crucial frontline services.
So What Next?
It has been a privielge to represent you on the council since October 2024, and as you may be aware, county-wide elections on the 7th of May 2026 will see the residents of Hoxne and Eye go to the polls to elect a new county councillor.
You can find out more about the candidates here: https://whocanivotefor.co.uk/elections/local.suffolk.hoxne-eye.2026-05-07/hoxne-eye/
As ever, I will be continuing to work on your priorities and can be contacted at Henry.lloyd@suffolk.gov.uk