Regeneration

Babergh and Mid Suffolk Regeneration Projects

Babergh and Mid Suffolk councils have a number of regeneration projects underway to promote economic growth: increase employment, attract residents and investors and unlock potential in abandoned areas. Furthermore, these projects also improve the quality of life for people who live close to these spots.

We want to see the reinvigoration of our local economies. Increased inward investment and the relocation of businesses will bring improvements to economic competitiveness and prosperity.

The projects underway in the region are:

• Stowmarket Health, Education, and Leisure
• Hadleigh (Ipswich Road – A1071) Commercial Unit Development
• Hamilton Road, Bus Station and Borehamgate Regeneration Area, Sudbury
• Belle Vue Park, Sudbury
• Cross Street, Eye

Some of the projects recently completed include:

• Solar Carports
• Visitor Centre at Needham Lake – Duck and Teapot Cafe

We declared a climate emergency in 2019, and have since been playing a leading role in:

• supporting decarbonisation
• local micro-energy generation through our assets and car parks
• identifying local sustainable travel opportunities

This has led us to piloting a solar carport scheme in our Mid Suffolk Leisure Centre car park in Stowmarket and Kingfisher Leisure Centre in Sudbury.

It will:

• generate electricity to offset the energy costs of the leisure centre
• reduce reliance on the grid and provide energy resilience
• enable us to reduce carbon emissions
• reduce fuel miles and encourage wider use of electric vehicles by providing charging points
• link to our Stowmarket Vision work, providing wider social, economic, and environmental benefits