Your council
Babergh: what’s happening where you live
What the council itself has published on the five things it most shapes for a household: homes, getting about, the bill, the local environment and schools. Each line is quoted from the council’s own document, with the link. This page says what was decided or proposed; it never says whether it was right.
Babergh District Council: Non-metropolitan district (lower tier), England, East of England; within the county of SFK. GOV.UK lists it as a district council, within Suffolk County Council.
Do it online
- Household waste collection: Providing information
- Household waste collection: Reporting
- Bulky household waste collections: Applications for service
- Household garden waste: Providing information
- Recycling bags and containers: Providing information
- Flytipping: Reporting
- Noise pollution: Reporting
- Council tax annual notification: Providing information
- Council tax annual notification: Collecting revenue
- Council tax discount: Applications for service
- Council tax benefit new claim: Applications for service
- Housing benefit new claim: Providing information
- Electoral register: Providing information
- Electoral register: Applications for service
- Planning decision notices: Providing information
- Councillors directory: Providing information
- Complaints procedure: Providing information
Housing
We haven't read this council's own publications yet. The council’s website
Transport
We haven't read this council's own publications yet. The council’s website
Council tax
Band D set by Babergh for 2026–27: £199.52 of a £2,341.55 total bill in the area.
We haven't read this council's own publications yet. The council’s website
Environment
We haven't read this council's own publications yet. The council’s website
Education
We haven't read this council's own publications yet. The council’s website
Changes to schools in this area recorded by the Department for Education Updated automatically
No school here is currently recorded as proposed to open or close.
In the last twelve months: 1 opened (1 academy converter), 2 closed (1 result of amalgamation/merger, 1 academy converter)
- Acorn Cottage The Lodge — closed; reason recorded: result of amalgamation/merger, 24 August 2026
- St Joseph's Roman Catholic Primary School (primary) — closed; reason recorded: academy converter, 31 August 2026
- St Joseph's Catholic Primary School (primary) — open; reason recorded: academy converter, 1 September 2026
What the council plans to spend, 2026–27
| Service | Budget |
|---|---|
| Education services | none budgeted |
| Highways and transport services | −£153,000 |
| Children's social care | none budgeted |
| Adult social care | none budgeted |
| Public health | none budgeted |
| Housing services (general fund only) | £2.8 million |
| Cultural and related services | £1.6 million |
| Environmental and regulatory services | £6.0 million |
| Planning and development services | £3.3 million |
| Police services | none budgeted |
| Fire and rescue services | none budgeted |
| Central services | £2.0 million |
| Other services | none budgeted |
| Total service expenditure | £15.5 million |
Babergh in numbers
- Total population
- 97,033 people
- Median age
- 49 years
- Gross disposable household income per head
- £27,849
- Gross median weekly pay
- £595
- Children in relative poverty after housing costs
- 23.2%
- Claimant Count
- 2.4%
- Average house price
- £330,523
- Housing affordability ratio (residence-based)
- 9.7 affordability ratio
- Greenhouse gas emissions
- 5.1 tCO2e per capita
- Gigabit capable broadband
- 75.4%
- Public electric vehicle chargers
- 163.9 per 100,000 population
- Active businesses
- 4,030 number of enterprises
Who runs the council
32 seats in 2026. Run by: a coalition or arrangement of Greens, independents and Liberal Democrats.
Councillors by party: Green Party (E&W) 10, Independent / Other 9, Conservative and Unionist 6, Liberal Democrats 4, Reform UK 2, Labour Party 1.
Next scheduled council election: 6 May 2027.
All 32 councillors, by ward
- Lee Parker (Liberal Democrats) — Assington
- Bryn Hurren (Liberal Democrats) — Box Vale
- Alastair McCraw (Independent / Other) — Brantham
- John Ward (Independent / Other) — Brett Vale
- Isabelle Reece (Conservative and Unionist) — Bures St Mary & Nayland
- John Whyman (Liberal Democrats) — Capel St Mary
- Michael Holt (Reform UK) — Chadacre
- Stephen Plumb (Independent / Other) — Chadacre
- Marc Rowland (Reform UK) — Copdock & Washbrook
- Sallie Davies (Green Party (E&W)) — East Bergholt
- Derek Davis (Independent / Other) — Ganges
- Mark Newman (Conservative and Unionist) — Great Cornard
- Peter Beer (Conservative and Unionist) — Great Cornard
- Ruth Hendry (Green Party (E&W)) — Great Cornard
- Simon Dowling (Green Party (E&W)) — Hadleigh North
- Jane Carruthers (Green Party (E&W)) — Hadleigh South
- Kathryn Grandon (Independent / Other) — Hadleigh South
- Margaret Maybury (Conservative and Unionist) — Lavenham
- Paul Clover (Conservative and Unionist) — Lavenham
- Elisabeth Malvisi (Independent / Other) — Long Melford
- John Nunn (Independent / Other) — Long Melford
- Deborah Saw (Green Party (E&W)) — North West Cosford
- Daniel Potter (Green Party (E&W)) — Orwell
- Leigh Jamieson (Green Party (E&W)) — South East Cosford
- Brian Riley (Conservative and Unionist) — Sproughton & Pinewood
- Helen Davies (Liberal Democrats) — Sproughton & Pinewood
- Mary McLaren (Independent / Other) — Stour
- Alison Owen (Labour Party) — Sudbury North East
- Jessie Carter (Green Party (E&W)) — Sudbury North West
- Tim Regester (Green Party (E&W)) — Sudbury North West
- Adrian Osborne (Independent / Other) — Sudbury South East
- Laura Smith (Green Party (E&W)) — Sudbury South West