SUMMARY

East Suffolk Council and Suffolk County Council own or manage over 20 green and built spaces in Woodbridge. The Government plans to abolish these two councils and replace them with one or more larger “unitary” Councils. 

Woodbridge Town Council is being asked to consider whether to take over some or all of these spaces. Over the summer, your town councillors have walked the town to make a first assessment. Now it is time to ask you whether your town council should 

• either undertake more detailed, in-depth work before making any decisions.
• or opt for the quiet life and leave these spaces to the new unitary Council.

So, is this an opportunity for us as residents of this town to preserve and enhance the future environment in which we live? Or is this a financial blackhole down which we should not fall?

CLOSING DATE: 15 December 2025

Click the following links to:  TAKE THE SURVEY or see the  MAP

 

ENGAGEMENT STRATEGY:

Afternoon Town Hall Meeting:

Location: Quay Street Church

Date: Tuesday 2 December at 3pm

 Including seasonal refreshments – tea/coffee and mince pies

 

Evening Town Hall Meeting:

Location: Quay Street Church

Date: Tuesday 2 December at 7pm

Including seasonal refreshments - tea/coffee and mince pies               

 

More local engagement events will be taking place around the following green spaces:

• Castle Street - Date TBC
• Houchells Meadow – Date TBC
• the land adjoining Kyson Playgroup Date -TBC
• the Model Boating Pond – Date TBC
• Thoroughfare – Saturday morning 29th November 2025 (other dates tbc.)

 

Further information

Woodbridge Town Council owns and maintains many of the town’s valued green spaces and historic buildings. These include Fen Meadow, Elmhurst Park, Kingston Playing Field, Broomheath, the Quaker Burial Ground, Tide Mill Way and Whisstocks Place — all managed locally by us. We also own important buildings such as the Shire Hall and Tide Mill, as well as the Community Hall and the Longshed, which are managed by independent charitable organisations. 

In April 2026, we will be making our green spaces even more locally managed by employing our own gardeners instead of using external contractors. This change should help us improve these spaces further and be more accountable for how they are cared for.

However, not all of Woodbridge’s green and built spaces belong to the Town Council. Areas such as the open space on Castle Street, Houchells Meadow, the land beside Woodbridge Day Nursery next to Kyson School, and the Model Boating Pond — along with facilities like the Skateboard Park, Fred Reynolds Centre, leisure centre, library and most car parks — are owned and run by East Suffolk Council or Suffolk County Council. In addition, East Suffolk Council leases the football ground from a third party and sub-leases it to the Football Club.

Now, significant change is on the horizon. Suffolk County and East Suffolk councils are expected to be abolished and replaced by one or more new “unitary councils” under a process called Local Government Reorganisation. This could mean one large council for the whole of Suffolk, or a few smaller unitary councils covering different areas.

As this process develops, Woodbridge Town Council has been asked to consider taking over some of the green and built spaces currently owned by the other councils. We need to decide together whether this is the right step for Woodbridge — or whether these spaces should remain under the control of a larger, more distant authority. The first step is to agree whether to undertake more detailed, in-depth work before making any decisions.

Your views on this first step will help shape Woodbridge Town Council’s approach to the challenges posed by Local Government Reorganisation.

 

CLOSING DATE: 15 December 2025