News

Forty Years On
Vision 2031
The Guildhall Project
Wetherspoons and the Corn Exchange
Magna Carta 800

This year marks a milestone in the life of The Bury Society. It was in 1971 that a group of local residents assembled and made the decision to form a civic society; we celebrate their vision and their care for Bury St Edmunds over the past 40 years.

What is Vision 2031? It is a consultative process that the St Edmundsbury Borough Council has embarked upon to create a vision for the town’s development over the next 20 years. When the process is complete Vision 2031 will provide a plan for addressing the key issues that face the town.

The medieval Guildhall in Bury St Edmunds is fast being recognised as England's oldest complete Civic Building and the Bury Society considers the Guildhall Project to be one of the most important and significant enterprises for our town for very many years.

Subject to obtaining a sale of alcohol licence, Wetherspoons look set to occupy the Corn Exchange following planning approval and agreement to a 30 year lease by the Borough Council. The Company will lease the first floor of the grade II listed building for £80,000 a year from the council.

Magna Carta 800 is a sub-committee of the Bury Society. It was formed at the beginning of 2011, in equal partnership with St Edmundsbury Borough Council, in order to celebrate the event at Bury Abbey in the year before Magna Carta was sealed by King John in 1215.

Magna Carta 800

newsmagnanamespic It is recorded by the 13C monk, Roger of Wendover, that in 1214 the Barons of the time came to the Great Abbey of St Edmund to swear a solemn oath at the High Altar that if King John refused to grant them demands set out in a great charter, they would withdraw their obedience and make war against him. The following year the charter was sealed by the King, and it became known as Magna Carta.

newsmagnapeoplepic Peoples of the democratic world are proud to trace their democracies back to this Charter so the anniversary celebrations are going to be international in 2015 at Runnymede. We here in Bury will also be supported by the national and international community in 2014 to celebrate the part which Bury St Edmunds played in this most historic event.

Plans are in the very early stages but it is envisaged that the town will be holding a Pageant and later in the year a Son et Lumiere, with many organisations in the town making their own arrangements to contribute to the occasion: choirs singing, museum displays, school debates, to name just a few. It is hoped that as many people as possible will be involved - this is for the people of Bury.

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