Local Services
East Suffolk Council
East Suffolk Council was created in 2019 (merging the former Waveney District Council and the former Suffolk Coastal District Council), and is now responsible for important local services such as electoral registration and elections, planning permission, refuse and recycling collections, and much more. Contact them by phone at 0333 016 2000, by email at customerservices@eastsuffolk.gov.uk , or by post at Riverside, 4 Canning Road, Lowestoft NR33 0EQ.
Residents of our parish are entitled to vote for a District Councillor to represent our interests at East Suffolk Council.
Wenhaston with Mells Hamlet Parish Council
The Parish Council comprises eleven local people who voluntarily take on the important job of Parish Councillor. Elections are held every four years. A wide spectrum of local topics are discussed and considered at monthly Council meetings. There is constant liaison with other tiers of government and with all manner of other organisations which may impact on the lives of residents.
Parish Council meetings are open to the public, who may attend but not speak or take part. Agendas and Minutes are displayed at the Village Hall. The Parish Council is also a Burial Authority, having responsibility for the Cemetery in Narrow Way.
Recycling
Wenhaston has the following recycling facilities (locations marked on Village map):
- Glass bottles and jars of any colour (not caps/tops), at Wenhaston Village Hall
- Printer ink and toner cartridges (complete with packaging) should be deposited in the collection box in the Maurice Stammers Community Room at the Village Hall (proceeds to The World Land Trust)
East Suffolk Council provides each household with wheelie bins for various types of household waste, including those items that can be recycled. These bins are regularly collected. There is a charge for the collection of a garden waste bin. Be aware that collection dates may vary throughout the village. Contact East Suffolk Council for more information and also should you need their services to dispose of bulky or household items. Please note that you can also take garden waste to a Suffolk County Council household waste recycling centre.
Library
The excellent mobile library service stops at various places in Wenhaston. Details from 01473 263838. Our nearest library building stands at the junction of Bridge Street and Rectory Street in Halesworth. Nowadays the public libraries at both Halesworth and Southwold offer a range of informal clubs and social opportunities which may be of interest.
Transport
Several bus routes come through the village for which timetables are displayed at the bus stops.
Suffolk Links Pathfinder operates rather like a taxi but with the fare of a bus. Call 0845 6041802 between 8:15am and 4:00pm Monday - Friday, up to a week before you wish to travel.
The nearest rail stations are at Halesworth and at Darsham, both on the East Suffolk Line and both about three miles from Wenhaston. Trains run north to Lowestoft (connections to Norwich) and south to Ipswich (connections to London).
Timetables are available from Wenhaston Post Office and Halesworth library, or see the Travel links.
Halesworth Community Car Service is available for journeys for which neither a family car nor any form of public transport is available. Charge made. Volunteer drivers always welcome. Call 01986 874290 for more details.
Sustrans National Cycle Network
Sustrans Regional Route 42 passes along Blackheath Road, Wenhaston and connects with Sustrans National Route 1 which connects Dover to the Shetland Islands.
Wenhaston Website
Go to http://www.wenhaston.net for information, links to items of interest and other Blyth valley village and town websites, accommodation, and more. If researching your family tree take a look at the Wenhaston Archive and also the online graveyard map and information of burials at St Peter's church. There is also the village Millennium Map online which shows the village as it was around the year 2000AD. The actual map is a metre square but online you can zoom in to study the detail. www.wenhaston.net is one of the Blythweb Group of Local Websites.
Wenhaston Newsletter
Wenhaston Warbler is published monthly by Wenhaston with Mells Hamlet Parish Council and is delivered free by volunteers.