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.

Forty Years On

newsfortyyearsonpic

The issue that brought everyone together was the intended demolition of the St Johns St /Brackland area of town to create a modern shopping precinct completely out of character with this wonderful historic market town. Once established the Society has been in regular debate with the authorities to care for and develop our town with sensitivity, recognising its quality, adding value to its shopping and leisure activities. The Society has been able to enhance the town in many small ways, due to a legacy, the most recent being additional tree planting on the car park between the arc and cinema complex.

The Society planted a beech tree in the Abbey Gardens to mark its 25^th year and hopes to repeat a similar project with a commemorative tree in Cannon Square.

One of our major achievements is establishing Bury in Bloom, which celebrates its Silver Anniversary this year. Working closely with St Edmundsbury Borough Council, we have achieved considerable national success in competitions which have helped in putting Bury St Edmunds on the world map as a floral town of excellence.

We invite you to join us for our celebratory events, 25 years of Bury in Bloom and 40 years of the Bury Society, caring for Bury St Edmunds and working to keep Bury St Edmunds as somewhere rather special.

Return to "News"