July 2026

Welcome to the July edition of my monthly newsletter. 

June was another busy (and extremely hot!) month across Suffolk Coastal and in Westminster. 

In the month we celebrated Pride Month, Suffolk Day and Armed Forces Day, and even saw the start of the 2026 World Cup, I've been out and about across the constituency hosting community discussions, coffee mornings, surgeries and spent lots of time meeting residents, businesses and local organisations. 

A lot of my work this month (and every month) has been helping constituents with casework - from frustrations with the new recycling rollout, trying to secure better bus services, helping someone find suitable housing, or supporting people through what can often feel like a maze of council and Government bureaucracy. It's a huge part of what my team and I do every day, and this local focus is really important to me.  

I've also kicked off a summer of community engagement, from meeting residents affected by flooding at Potter's Bridge in the north of the constituency to working with the community in Felixstowe West in the south with lots more planned up and down the constituency in the months to come.   

There's plenty more in the rest of this newsletter about all of that, and the wider work I've been doing across Suffolk Coastal and in Parliament. As always, if there's something you'd like to raise with me, please don't hesitate to get in touch. 

Jenny

Pride in Place

June marked another important milestone for Pride in Place in Felixstowe West, as I brought together the newly appointed Board for the first time. 

We met at Felixstowe Rugby Club for the Board's inaugural meeting before hosting a wider stakeholder event, bringing together local organisations, community groups and residents to discuss how Pride in Place will work in practice and how local people can help shape the programme. 

Now that the Board is in place, the next step is establishing a series of community working groups. These groups will focus on the different priorities for Felixstowe West and will help develop ideas, shape projects and ensure local voices remain at the heart of the programme as it moves forward over the next ten years. 

Whether you're a resident, part of a community organisation, or run a local business, I'd really encourage you to get involved. The more people who take part, the stronger this programme will be. 

You can find out more about Pride in Place, the working groups and how to get involved here: https://www.jennyforsuffolkcoastal.org/prideinplace

Westminster Hall Debate - Contribution of nationally significant energy infrastructure projects to communities 

Earlier this week I led a Westminster Hall debate on the contribution of nationally significant energy infrastructure projects to communities, building on my ongoing work around the impact energy infrastructure projects are having here in Suffolk Coastal. 

In the debate I made two key points. 

First, that the level of community investment being offered in some cases needs to better reflect the scale of the infrastructure being delivered locally. For example, I raised concerns that the proposed community investment for Sea Link - set at 0.1% of the project value and split between Suffolk and Kent - feels out of step with the level of impact these projects have on our area. 

Second, I highlighted the very real, immediate pressures being felt by local businesses during the construction phase of Sizewell C. While the community investment framework focuses on long-term legacy, many businesses are telling me they are struggling now, as a direct result of disruption from construction works. I gave examples of businesses like the Theberton Lion and Leiston Refill Store seeing significant losses due to roadworks, closures and poor access, with owners who are not opposed to the projects themselves, but are struggling to survive the impact of construction today. The message I heard clearly is that future benefit only matters if businesses are still there to see it. 

Following the debate, I have already been contacted by the Minister and a follow-up meeting has been agreed to look at these issues in more detail. 

As ever, I am grateful to everyone who has shared their experiences and evidence with me. This work is ongoing, and I will continue pushing for a fairer approach to how these major projects support the communities that host them. 

You can watch the whole debate above and read more about my wider work on energy infrastructure here: https://www.jennyforsuffolkcoastal.org/energy 

Saxmundham Health - One Stop Shop

This month, I launched a new campaign calling for Saxmundham to be included in NHS Norfolk and Suffolk Integrated Care Board’s plans for new Neighbourhood Health Centres.

For more than 20 years, Dr John Havard and the team at Saxmundham Health Centre have been developing plans for a "one stop shop" that would bring together GP services, diagnostics, dentistry, mental health support, childcare and family services under one roof. This isn't just an idea - the plans have already been developed and are ready to move forward if the funding is secured.

The Government has committed to delivering 250 Neighbourhood Health Centres across England to bring healthcare closer to where people live. However, when NHS Norfolk and Suffolk Integrated Care Board announced its initial plans, not a single location in rural East Suffolk was included.

I don't believe that's right. People across Saxmundham and the surrounding villages often face long journeys to access healthcare, with limited public transport making it even harder for many residents to get the care they need. If these new centres are about bringing services closer to communities, then rural areas like ours must not be overlooked.

I've already raised the issue with Health Ministers and the ICB, and I'm continuing to make the case for Saxmundham. But the strongest argument comes from local people.

If you support bringing better healthcare closer to home, I'd encourage you to add your name to the campaign. Every signature helps demonstrate the strength of local support and sends a clear message that rural East Suffolk deserves its fair share of investment.

You can support the campaign here: https://www.jennyforsuffolkcoastal.org/saxonestopshop

Buses

Bus services continue to be one of the most common issues raised with me by residents across Suffolk Coastal, particularly in more rural communities where options are limited and even small changes to routes or timetables can have a big impact on daily life. 

Over the past year I’ve been campaigning for improvements to local bus provision, following repeated concerns about unreliable services, missing routes, and communities being left increasingly isolated. This has been a consistent theme in casework, at coffee mornings, and in surgeries, with residents raising the knock-on impact on access to work, education, healthcare and basic day-to-day connectivity. 

In response, I’ve been gathering evidence from across the constituency and working to bring together those involved in delivering and overseeing bus services to have a more honest conversation about what is happening on the ground, and what needs to change. 

On Wednesday 22nd July, I will be hosting a public discussion on bus services in Suffolk Coastal, bringing together residents, bus operators and Suffolk County Council. The aim is to look at the current challenges in the system, hear directly from people affected, and explore what practical steps can be taken to improve reliability and connectivity across the network. 

This is about making sure rural transport is not an afterthought, and that communities across Suffolk Coastal are properly heard when decisions are being made about routes and services. 

If you would like to attend, you can register here: https://getcampaigning.co.uk/events/big-bus-discussion

Gurkha Community Event

Last weekend, Woodbridge Town Council and I hosted the first ever Gurkha Community Day at Woodbridge Football Club. 

The Gurkhas have a long and proud history of service and sacrifice for our country, and we are incredibly fortunate to have so many serving personnel and families based at Rock Barracks in Woodbridge. They moved here 12 months ago from Maidstone, Kent.

Both the Mayor of Woodbridge and I felt it was really important to properly welcome the Gurkhas to Woodbridge,  and make sure they feel welcomed to our community.    

A huge thank you to Woodbridge Town Council for their support in making the event happen and to everyone who helped bring the day together, including our caterers and children’s entertainer. 

It was a real privilege to spend time with everyone involved and to celebrate the contribution that Gurkha and wider armed forces families make to our area. 

Rubbish Roll Out

Unsurprisingly, one of the biggest issues I’ve been dealing with this month has been the rollout of East Suffolk Council’s new recycling and bin collection system. 

Over the past few weeks, I’ve had a huge amount of casework from residents reporting missed collections, bins not being delivered, and waste building up outside homes - in some cases for several weeks. My team has been working through these cases and escalating issues directly with the Council as they come in. 

While I do fully support the principle of improving recycling rates, it’s clear the rollout itself has not worked as it should. It has caused real disruption for residents across parts of the constituency. Basic waste collection is a core service, and people rightly expect it to be reliable and properly managed. 

If you are still experiencing problems, you should report them directly to East Suffolk Council here: https://www.eastsuffolk.gov.uk/rubbish-recycling-and-waste/household-bin-collections/missed-bin-collections. If you have already done this and are not getting a response, my office can help escalate issues on your behalf here: https://www.jennyforsuffolkcoastal.org/bins  

I am continuing to raise these concerns directly with the Council and pushing for urgent improvements. I know how frustrating this has been for many residents, particularly where issues have continued over several weeks, and I will keep working to get these problems resolved as quickly as possible. 

Constituency Coffee Mornings

Once a month, I hold my village coffee mornings, so that  I’m regularly hearing from residents in all corners of our constituency. 

Last weekend I was in Eyke with residents from the local area. It was a very warm morning (we thought that day was hot, then the next week came along!), but really good to see so many people come along and take part. 

We covered local concerns around road safety, traffic and infrastructure. These are the issues that come up time and again at these sessions, and it’s always helpful to hear them directly and in detail from residents. 

A huge thank you to everyone who came along and shared their thoughts and experiences and listened to me share some more about the work I have been doing both in Suffolk Coastal and Parliament  

My next coffee morning will be in Knodishall, with more planned across the constituency over the coming months.

Potters Bridge

Last week, I brought together Natural England, the Environment Agency, Suffolk Highways and local Parish Councils for another roundtable on Potter’s Bridge. 

There was positive news from Natural England, who confirmed that the emergency overflow works completed earlier this year have performed well. Despite a wet winter, the road has remained open. 

Natural England also outlined early ideas for longer-term water management, including a weed screen and options to better control water levels upstream and downstream. These are still being explored, but it was encouraging to hear partners looking at practical ways to improve resilience. 

Potter’s Bridge remains a challenging and vulnerable location. Suffolk Highways confirmed that while a recent general inspection found no major immediate issues, the bridge is still waiting for a more detailed principal inspection. 

I know how important this road is for local residents, businesses and visitors. I will be writing to Suffolk County Council, on behalf of local Parish Councils and residents, to press for this inspection to be prioritised next year, and will keep convening stakeholders ahead of the autumn and winter.