The Chairman of the West Suffolk County Council Brigadier J. T. Aldous, gave an assurance last week to those who are apprehensive about the future development of the county. While expansion is essential, he said, great care is being taken to prevent such expansion from despoiling the beauty of the West Suffolk countryside.

The occasion was a dinner given by the Chairman of the Cosford Rural District Council, Mr. Hamilton Boyle, to mark the completion of his term of office. Some 50 guests attended at the Bull Hotel, Long Melford, and were greeted on arrival by Mr. and Mrs. Boyle.

After an excellent dinner Mr. Boyle welcomed his guests and said how pleased he was that Brigadier and Mrs. Aldous had honoured him by being present. He also welcomed Commander Whitehouse, Chairman of the Melford Rural District Council, and Mrs. Whitehouse, and Wing Commander and Mrs. Halliwell, from Wattisham.

He touched on a number of local government matters, and, on the subject of plannin, emphasised the point that development has got to take place in West Suffolk,but that 'change' was not necessarily synonymous with 'deterioration'.

He paid a high tribute to the staff of Cosford Rural District Council and affirmed that the Council was indeed fortunate in having the services of Mr. C. A. Durrant, the Clerk, and Mr. Hackford, the Surveyor.

KEEP ALIVE

Brigadier Aldous said that he had been asked to speak on planning and this was a particularly difficult subject on which to report. In West Suffolk, he said, we had some very lovely agricultural country and many very lovely villages, but if we were to keep these villages alive, we must come up to the fact that opportunities for employment must be created by the establishment of industries and the expansion of nearby towns.

Some villages, of course, lent themselves to expansion more than others, and that an attempt had been made to classify villages in a number of categories. But these categories, he said, were not static, and it was the intention to review the classification at various intervals, taking into account any changed circumstances.

A REVIEW

It was particularly important not to attempt to expand many of our lovely villages too rapidly. However, scemes for which planning permission had already been given cannot be halted, but a review after four years when present planning consents will expire, and a further review in 1981 when the present town development is expected to be completed, will be undertaken.

Brigadier Aldous concluded by thanking Mr. And Mrs. Boyle for their hospitality and congratulated Mr. Boyle on the success of his work as Chairman of Cosford Rural District Council.