New Sizewell C skills bursary open to applications
Managed by Suffolk County Council, the bursary is designed to remove barriers to training and employment, ensuring that local people can gain the skills needed for Sizewell C and other high-quality jobs in the county.
The fund will provide £15,000 every year for the next decade, with individual bursaries of up to £1,000 available. Applications must be supported by the learner’s training provider.
The bursary can help with essential costs such as travel, accommodation, childcare, specialist equipment, study materials, PPE or uniforms, and short upskilling courses not funded by government, like a CSCS (Construction Skills Certification Scheme) card.
Full details of eligibility and how to apply are available at https://www.suffolk.gov.uk/business/supporting-employers-training-your-workforce/sizewell-c-skills-funds
Cllr Richard Smith MVO, Suffolk County Council’s deputy leader and cabinet member for finance, economic development and skills, said:
“We want Suffolk residents to be first in line for the opportunities Sizewell C will create. This bursary will help to ensure that local people – especially those from areas with greater deprivation – have the chance to train for skilled, well-paid jobs that will strengthen our local economy and benefit communities for years to come.”
Suffolk secures more than £26 million bus funding over three years
Millions of pounds of investment is to take place in Suffolk’s bus network over three years following allocation of Government funding.
Services, ticketing, and infrastructure will all benefit under the package worth nearly £27 million between 2026 and 2029.
Suffolk County Council will receive a total of £26,813760 under the Local Authority Bus Grant (LABG).
This funding will enable the continuation and expansion of new and improved services introduced over the past two years through LABG support and its predecessor, the Bus Services Improvement Grant (BSIP), many of which were shaped by community feedback.
Suffolk will receive:
2026/27 - £8,849,119
2027/28 - £8,937,920
2028/29 - £9,026,721
The funding is split into two areas.
Revenue investment will focus on:
Maintaining and growing enhanced services based on local suggestions.
Increasing publicity and travel information to help residents make informed choices.
Capital funding will deliver:
Renewal and expansion of Real Time Passenger Information across Suffolk.
Improved ticketing options and accessibility in partnership with bus operators.
Investigations into bus priority measures to reduce journey times and encourage modal shift.
Upgraded bus stops with new shelters, better footway links, and accessibility enhancements—many suggested by local communities.
Local authorities will have flexibility to use LABG funding to meet local needs—whether by reducing fares, introducing new routes, investing in zero-emission buses, or improving bus stops and stations.
Councillor Chris Chambers, Suffolk County Council Cabinet Member for Transport Strategy, said: “Certainty of funding allows Suffolk to work with operators on multi-year plans to transition to electric buses, improving air quality in town centres and ensuring more reliable operations.
“With guaranteed funding in place we can deliver the improvements our communities have asked for—better services in our towns and rural areas, and more accessible stops.
“This investment will help us make bus travel a more attractive, reliable, and sustainable choice for everyone.”
Last July Suffolk County Council announced a £2.8m investment in new bus routes and improved services following announcement of LABG funding of £8 million for 2025-26.
As well as new routes, some services gained increased frequency and a Sunday schedule added.
Alongside the £2.8m revenue for delivering new or enhanced services, the county council also previously announced £5.2m of capital funding from the DfT for new and improved bus stops, bus stations, bus priority measures or vehicle upgrades.
For more details of public transport in Suffolk go to the Suffolk On Board website.
Loft insulation scammers ordered to pay £48,891 after targeting vulnerable Suffolk residents
Riva Surveyors Ltd has been ordered to pay £48,891 in fines and compensation, while senior salesman Justin Brason received a suspended prison sentence for his part in the scam.
Riva Surveyors Ltd (previously known as Riba Surveyors Ltd) and Justin Brason, aged 45, of Brambling Close, Stowmarket, appeared separately at Ipswich Crown Court on 9 December 2025 for sentencing, following an investigation led by Suffolk County Council’s Trading Standards team.
Between July 2019 and February 2020, the company cold-called or visited elderly homeowners across Suffolk, Essex, Cambridgeshire and Norfolk, claiming to offer free loft inspections.
Once inside the properties, “surveyors” falsely reported serious roof defects such as damp, mould or infestations, and urged householders to install spray foam insulation at vastly inflated prices. Victims were told the work was urgent and that their roofs were structurally unsound if left untreated.
In reality, the spray foam insulation sold was unnecessary and, in some cases, unsuitable for the properties, with an expert witness later confirming that the reported problems were exaggerated or entirely fabricated. The insulation could also reduce property value and make it harder to sell or remortgage.
Many victims were elderly and living alone. Out of 20 affected consumers, six went ahead with the work, suffering significant financial losses. Two victims later had to remove the insulation at additional cost so they could remortgage or sell their homes.
One victim’s family described the lasting impact:
“The anxiety caused by this had a severe impact on my parents’ health. They were preyed upon by an unscrupulous person with no morals. I hope this outcome acts as a deterrent to others who destroy the lives of elderly people in this way.”
Riva Surveyors Ltd pleaded guilty to 21 counts of misleading actions under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008. Brason pleaded guilty to eight counts under the same legislation. His later attempt to withdraw his guilty plea was rejected by the court in September 2025.
Sentencing is as follows:
Riva Surveyors Ltd:
Fined £850 for each of 21 offences, a total of £17,850
Ordered to pay £31,021 in compensation to affected consumers
Combined total liability: £48,891, to be paid within 12 months
No prosecution costs awarded due to the judge prioritising victim compensation
Justin Brason:
12 months’ imprisonment, suspended for 18 months
Sentenced as 12 months for each of his eight offences, to run consecutively, reflecting that the judge considered each offence to be equally serious
Ordered to pay £1,500 compensation, to be paid at £75 per month from February 2026
10 rehabilitation activity days
200 hours of unpaid work
The judge noted that culpability and harm were high but accepted that there had been no further complaints since the investigation began. As the company is now largely dormant, securing compensation for consumers was described as “a good result.”
Suffolk Trading Standards’ investigation was supported by the National Trading Standards Tri Region Investigation Team (TRIT) due to the scale of the offending across multiple counties.
Councillor Steve Wiles, Suffolk County Council’s Cabinet Member for Public Health and Public Protection, said:
“This case highlights the shocking lengths some individuals will go to in order to exploit the elderly and vulnerable in our communities.
“Suffolk Trading Standards work tirelessly to protect residents from scams like this, and I’m pleased that justice has been done for the victims in this case.”
Graham Crisp, Head of Suffolk Trading Standards, added:
“This was a deliberate and sustained campaign of deception. Victims were made to feel frightened and pressured into paying for unnecessary and sometimes damaging work.
“We urge residents to always seek independent advice before agreeing to any work on their home, and to avoid engaging with cold callers offering free surveys or quick fixes.”
Lord Michael Bichard, Chair, National Trading Standards, said:
“There are too many examples of misconduct in the energy sector, and this case shows how vulnerable homeowners can be targeted.
“This case saw victims pressured into taking decisions they usually wouldn’t make. Victims were mistakenly led to believe that if they didn’t hand over significant sums of money their homes would soon become unsafe. The scam stripped homeowners not only of their savings but also caused huge emotional distress, leaving victims with long-lasting anxiety.
“If you or someone you know has been targeted by a scam like this, you should report it to the Citizens Advice consumer service helpline by calling 0808 223 1133.”
Spray foam insulation is not always suitable for retrofitting in homes and homeowners are advised to seek independent advice before proceeding. Those wishing to find reputable traders can use schemes such as Suffolk Trusted Trader, Norfolk Trusted Trader, or the Essex Buy With Confidence scheme – all endorsed by their local Trading Standards department.
£12m Active Travel funding over four years announced for Suffolk
Suffolk County Council has been awarded more than £12 million over four years by Active Travel England to continue its work promoting sustainable travel.
Active Travel England (ATE) works with local authorities and other bodies to help them put in place infrastructure and facilities that make it easier for more people to walk, wheel and cycle, more often, on local journeys.
It has awarded Suffolk a total of £12,537,098 for the period 2026/27 to 2029/30 to invest in footpaths, infrastructure, and cycle lanes.
Councillor Chris Chambers, Suffolk County Council Cabinet member for Transport Strategy said: “This is a fantastic amount of money for important schemes and a vote of confidence by ATE in the work we are doing.
“Congestion and pollution are the bane of our bigger towns, which is why it is important that we develop a network of measures to encourage people out of the car wherever possible.
“We have to make it easier for residents and businesses in our towns to get around without having to rely on private vehicles which do so much to clog up our roads.
“Reducing congestion frees up road space for the traffic that does need to be there and creates a cleaner, better environment for everyone.”
National Active Travel Commissioner Chris Boardman said: “The aim of Active Travel England is to give people more everyday choice in how they get around, by creating safe, accessible and welcoming streets.
“We are not just building infrastructure — together, we are creating communities: places where parents feel confident letting children travel independently, and where older people can reach local shops with ease. We are building life back into our streets.”
In Spring 2023 ATE awarded SCC £7.9 million to develop active travel schemes, followed later that year by £1.495m as part of the then-government’s national walking and cycling Social Prescribing pilot.
A further £3.7 million active travel funding was awarded in February this year.
The money has been used in a variety of ways, including most recently new pedestrian crossings in Bridge Street and College Road by Ipswich Waterfront.
Improved cycle routes include from Ipswich Hospital to the Waterfront area, Nacton Road in Ipswich, Main Road in Martlesham, and within Woodbridge as part of the town’s active travel project.
The latest ATE award for future funding to Suffolk is part of a funding package for councils in England totalling more than £626 million.
The announcement comes days after the Department for Transport announced it was awarding Suffolk nearly £27 million to run and enhance bus services and infrastructure between 2026 and 2029.
Suffolk residents urged to apply quickly for free home energy upgrades
At the end of November 2025, Suffolk County Council secured £1.38 million from the government’s Warm Homes Local Grant Fund.
Residents and landlords are urged to apply quickly, as the funding must be allocated by the end of March 2026.
The fund aims to provide free energy saving improvements to energy inefficient homes if residents are on a low income, receive certain benefits or live in a certain postcode area. This could be wall and loft insulation, solar panels or air source heat pumps.
“Over recent years, Warm Homes Suffolk has made improvements to hundreds of properties, giving people warmer, safer homes and reducing their energy bills.”
Councillor Richard Rout, Suffolk County Council’s Cabinet Member for Devolution, Local Government Reorganisation and NSIPs
To be eligible, Suffolk homes must:
be privately owned (either by you or your landlord)
have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) of D, E, F or G (you can find this out when you apply)
Household income must usually be £36,000 a year or less - but if you earn more than that, you might still be eligible if either:
you live in a certain postcode area
(certain areas of Beccles, Felixstowe, Ipswich, Lowestoft and Stowmarket)someone in your household is getting certain benefits
you have a severe or long-term health condition, which is adversely affected by living in a cold home
Once these conditions have been approved, an assessment of your home will identify which measures are best suited to your property. These will then be installed by trusted contactors, for free.
Shirley from Ipswich was supported through a previous Warm Homes Suffolk initiative, to have cavity wall insulation, electric storage heaters and solar panels fitted to her home, improving the Energy Performance Certificate rating from a D to an A:
“I really noticed the difference with the wall insulation and was immediately warmer. I’m very happy with the new modern storage heaters, I had tiny heaters before.
“Now I have solar panels, I’m looking forward to my electricity bill being lower. I’m very thankful for the installation.”
Councillor Richard Rout, Suffolk County Council’s Cabinet Member for Devolution, Local Government Reorganisation and NSIPs, said:
“Over recent years, Warm Homes Suffolk has made improvements to hundreds of properties, giving people warmer, safer homes and reducing their energy bills.
“We are constantly looking for ways to support our residents most in need, and securing the latest round of funding is evidence of that.
“But people must apply soon, as government has only given us a few months to distribute this funding.”
To check your eligibility, or to find out more about how Warm Homes Suffolk could help you, visit www.warmhomessuffolk.org or call the team on 03456 037 686.
LionLink consultation to launch in the new year, communities encouraged to take part
A written consultation and materials will launch on 13 January 2026, supported by five public information exhibitions in Saxmundham, Southwold, Hinton, Westleton and Yoxford. The consultation will close on 10 March 2026.
It is imperative that local communities engage with the upcoming LionLink consultation... I completely understand that some communities are exhausted – on a constantly moving conveyor belt of responding to consultation after consultation, for project after project.
Councillor Richard Rout, Suffolk County Council’s Cabinet Member for Devolution, Local Government Reorganisation and NSIPs
The planning of the LionLink project is now reaching its final stages, before an expected application for a Development Consent Order later in 2026.
Therefore, the county council is urging concerned residents, businesses, organisations and town and parish councils to get up-to-speed with the scheme’s plans, so they are in a position to contribute to the forthcoming consultation.
Councillor Richard Rout, Suffolk County Council’s Cabinet Member for Devolution, Local Government Reorganisation and NSIPs, said:
“It is imperative that local communities engage with the upcoming LionLink consultation, it is the final chance to influence the design, the routing, and ultimately the need for the project, before the application is submitted.
“I completely understand that some communities are exhausted – on a constantly moving conveyor belt of responding to consultation after consultation, for project after project. Much of which could have been mitigated if there was better coordination across all the huge infrastructure projects on Suffolk’s doorstep.
“That is something that the county council has been calling for years, lobbying government and project promoters. In this case, coordination between National Grid’s own projects, LionLink and Sea Link.
“So, it was incredibly frustrating when National Grid published details in March 2024, to say that it has no intention to coordinate LionLink with Sea Link at Aldeburgh, instead it is proposing a separate landing point at either Southwold or Walberswick. This will only cause further unnecessary destruction of the Suffolk countryside and natural environment.”
Initial details about the consultation are available on National Grid’s LionLink website, with further information being published in the new year.