Needham Market Town Council

19/08/2026

🌍 Community screening: The People’s Emergency Briefing

Needham Market Town Council is hosting a free community screening of The People’s Emergency Briefing, organised in partnership with the Council’s Climate Action Group.

The People’s Emergency Briefing is a documentary-style film that brings together short presentations from a range of experts on topics including climate change, biodiversity and resilience. Alongside the expert contributions, the film follows members of the public as they reflect on what they have heard and discuss the issues raised.

Whether you are already engaged with environmental issues, simply curious to learn more, or would like to hear different perspectives, everyone is welcome.

Following the screening, there will be an informal, facilitated discussion. We want this to be a safe, welcoming space where people can explore the issues raised, ask questions, listen to different perspectives and share their own views respectfully.

📅 Thursday 10 September 2026
🕖 Screening starts at 7.00pm, followed by discussion
📍 Needham Market Community Centre
🎟️ Free to attend

Places are limited, so please book in advance to guarantee your place.

Unable to book online? Please contact the Town Clerk and we will be happy to help.

We hope you will join us for what promises to be an interesting and thought-provoking evening.

Buy tickets – Needham Market Town Council

15/08/2026

🔥 Current wildfire risk: please take extra care

Many of us will have seen the UK Government's Emergency Alert last night, warning of the current high wildfire risk following the prolonged spell of exceptionally dry weather.

Many fires start accidentally, but the current conditions mean that even the smallest spark can quickly develop into a serious fire. This puts people, homes, businesses, wildlife and our green spaces at real risk.

We all have a responsibility to help keep Needham Market safe. While the wildfire risk remains high, please avoid:

🔥 Lighting bonfires, fire pits or setting off fireworks.
🍖 Using disposable barbecues or other open flames outdoors.
🚬 Disposing of ci******es or smoking materials carelessly.
🗑️ Leaving glass bottles or other litter where it could increase the risk of fire.

We know that the vast majority of people are already taking sensible precautions, and we're grateful for the part our community is playing. By continuing to look out for one another during this period of hot and dry weather, we can help keep Needham Market safe and reduce the risk of fire.

If you discover a fire, please move to a place of safety and call 999 immediately.

05/08/2026

🌿 Needham Market Town Council reaffirms commitment to climate action

At the most recent Town Council meeting, the Council reaffirmed its 2022 declaration of a Climate Emergency and recommitted to supporting practical local action to reduce emissions, enhance biodiversity and improve the resilience of our community to the impacts of climate change.

The Council also adopted a new Biodiversity Policy, providing a framework to help protect and enhance nature across Needham Market. This forms part of the Council's ongoing commitment to practical environmental action.

Building on this, the Council also agreed to contribute towards the long-term protection of just over 20 acres of land south of Chalkeith Road, including an important area of scarce calcareous grassland. The project aims to support nature recovery, community involvement and future flood mitigation.

Additionally, the Council's Climate Action Group, made up of local people with a shared passion for protecting and improving the environment, continues to lead and support local initiatives, including the Needham Market Community Orchard, while exploring further opportunities to enhance biodiversity and green spaces across the town.

The Council also encourages district, county and national representatives to continue supporting action on climate change, nature recovery and building resilient communities, recognising that meaningful progress requires action at every level.

We're always keen to hear ideas from residents, businesses and community groups. If you have a suggestion for improving biodiversity, our green spaces or the local environment, or would like to get involved, please get in touch.

30/07/2026

🛝 Crowley Park Play Area Reopening

We're pleased to confirm that the Crowley Park play area will reopen from 8:00am tomorrow morning.

Ahead of the play area reopening tomorrow morning, a number of councillors and Town Council staff spent time today clearing much of the taller w**d growth around the site. There is still further tidying to do over the coming weeks, but we didn't want to delay reopening the play area while those works are completed.

Final preparations and a safety inspection are taking place today to ensure everything is ready for reopening tomorrow morning.

The rope bridge will remain out of use for the time being. Repairs have already been agreed and funded, and we'll share a further update as soon as a date has been confirmed for those works.

The resurfacing completed this week allows the play area to reopen safely. However, we recognise that longer-term improvements to the surfacing are likely to be needed, and these will form part of our ongoing plans for the site.

Initially, the play area will be locked overnight while we monitor whether this helps reduce further vandalism and anti-social behaviour. We'll keep this arrangement under review as we assess its effectiveness.

We know this closure has been frustrating, particularly during the school holidays, and we'd like to thank everyone for their patience, understanding and the many messages of support we've received. We're also incredibly grateful to the members of our community who offered to volunteer their own time to help get the area ready to reopen, along with the councillors and staff who have worked hard behind the scenes to get us to this point.

This play area is an important community asset, and we hope everyone will continue to take pride in it by using it responsibly, respecting the facilities and helping us look after them for future generations.

If, as a community, we can protect and respect the facilities we already have, it allows the Town Council to spend less time and money putting things right, and more time creating new opportunities and facilities for young people across Needham Market. That's a priority for the Town Council, and one we're determined to make real progress on over the coming year.

We look forward to seeing local children and families enjoying the play area again. 🛝

20/07/2026

We are pleased to confirm that surfacing works at the park are due to take place shortly. Once these works have been completed and all necessary safety checks have been carried out, we will be able to reopen the park to the public.

Unfortunately, one item of play equipment has been vandalised and requires further attention. To ensure the safety of park users, this piece of equipment will be securely fenced off until repairs or replacement can be arranged.

Thank you for your patience and understanding while these final works are completed. We look forward to welcoming everyone back to the park very soon.

If you have any questions, please email [email protected] as we cannot guarantee that comments on Facebook posts will be seen.

Please do report any vandalism within the town to both the Town Council and the Police. Further vandalism will result in longer periods of closure to the affected areas.

29/06/2026

⚠️ Notice: School Street Play Area Closed Today 29/06/2026 ⚠️
Unfortunately, the School Street play area is closed today due to a fallen tree.
We apologise for any inconvenience and will share an update once it is safe to reopen. Thank you for your understanding.

20/05/2026

Needham Market Town Council is disappointed to report ongoing acts of vandalism at Crowley Park. Damage to public facilities not only creates unnecessary costs for repair but also impacts the enjoyment, safety, and wellbeing of the park for residents, families, and visitors.

These facilities are provided for the benefit of the whole community, and vandalism undermines the shared effort to maintain a welcoming, safe and well kept open space.

Following recent damage, the younger children's play area at Crowley Park has now been closed while investigations take place and the full extent of repairs required can be assessed. This closure is necessary to ensure public safety and to allow appropriate action to be taken.

Damage of this nature affects local children and families, removes valued facilities from the community, and diverts time and resources away from other work and improvements across the town.

The Council would encourage anyone who witnesses anti social behaviour, vandalism, or suspicious activity in and around Crowley Park to report it.

The Council will continue to monitor the situation closely and thanks the community for their cooperation and support in helping to protect Crowley Park for everyone.

24/02/2026

🌟 Help shape the future of Needham Market! 🌟
We currently have four Town Councillor vacancies, open to be filled by co‑option. Councillors support key local services, give input on planning matters affecting our town, and help drive community projects that improve quality of life.
If you care about our community and want to make a difference, we’d love to hear from you!
👉 Contact the Town Council Office to find out more.

28/01/2026

🌟 Want to make a difference in Needham Market? 🌟

Needham Market Town Council currently has three vacancies for Town Councillors, of which, two can be filled by co-option.

27/01/2026