Copdock and Washbrook
Parish Council
Parish Council
Parish Council
Suffolk born and bed, I have lived in the village with my family since 2001. In a professional capacity, I worked with various organisations to help them to improve their leadership capability and the performance of their workforce. In my personal life, I enjoy keeping fit and hill walking amongst the wonderfully diverse scenery that this country has to offer. I am a lifelong Ipswich Town fan and shareholder in Adnams brewery, two great Suffolk institutions!
What made you join the PC:
On a general level, as my working life draws to a close, I wish to give something back to the local community in which I and my family have lived so happily for over 20 years. More
specifically, I believe our village identity and that of neighbouring communities is under threat through over development of the “Ipswich fringe” by Babergh & Mid Suffolk council and
I wish to ensure that the concerns and aspirations of local residents are both heard and
properly represented in the strategic planning process.
What do you hope to achieve as a PC:
I think all Parish Councillors should aspire to leaving their community in better shape than
when they first joined and that will certainly be my aim too.
Tell us about you:
I moved to Suffolk in 1995; having met my now husband at university. I kept my horses in Copdock and quickly realised that I wanted to live in the village. In 2000 I moved to
Copdock with my husband and son and have been here ever since. I feel really lucky that
our children have enjoyed the village experience and the local preschool and school.
What made you join the PC?
I genuinely care about the village and am invested in the wellbeing of the community and in maintaining the distinctiveness of the village. Being a parish councillor gives me the
opportunity to make a difference and get involved with local projects.
What do you hope to achieve as a PC?
I would like to enable more neighbour-to-neighbour friendships to build connections and
build interdependence. The opportunity to join people based on their interests to enable the community to identify and take action on the issues that are most important – create the village feel!
What is the best thing about the village?
We have a great intergenerational community with people of all ages and entire generations interacting. The other great thing is the Brook Inn which is a great asset to the village.
Tell us about you:
I have lived in the village with my family for 12 years, seeing our children through local primary and secondary schools, and been a resident in Suffolk for over 20. I am a keen (if very amateur) runner and cyclist, so have spent my time getting to know and love the parish roads, tracks and footpaths: one of the main attractive features of the area for me is the fact we maintain a distinctly rural village feel despite the proximity to Ipswich.
What made you join the PC:
I joined Copdock and Washbrook Parish Council in 2020, having previously been part of the village neighbourhood plan working group. I enjoyed getting to know more local residents through this and making some good new friends. I joined the council to build on some of the work we have done in building a plan for the village and help build and develop our local environmental plans.
What do you hope to achieve as a PC:
I would like to see the adoption of the Neighbourhood plan which will set out our strategy for future development of the village. I am also looking forward to working with fellow councillors to address traffic issues in the area and hope to gain support and adoption of plans to improve the safely along the Old London Road and Swan Hill where we have seen a number of serious incidents.
What is the best thing about the village:
A lot of folk rightly say the pub! I enjoy that we have a really good, friendly local community which makes this an attractive place to live. We also have such a beautiful location in the countryside whilst being close to town for amenities.
My family has been in the village since early 2020; moving in at the start of the pandemic certainly presented many challenges, that’s for sure!
Professionally, I run my own business in the business technology sector, with many of my clients in central London.
When not working, as a family, we like to spend time together on country walks with our two labradors; every walk is certainly an adventure. The walks around the parish are always enjoyable, allowing me to explore the area and meet people in the village.
I joined the Parish Council because I’m passionate about maintaining the friendly country village environment and helping others to ensure that life within the parish is enjoyable for all and that the needs of the parishioners are being considered.
What I love most about living in C&W is the people and the wonderful countryside around us all, the cricket club and the wonderful Brook Inn village pub/restaurant. I look forward to seeing you around the village.
I am a resident of the village. Since retiring from my career 3 years ago, I've spent time doing charity work and also as a trustee (and now the treasurer) of the Copdock and Washbrook Village Hall.
My interest in joining the Parish Council stems from my love of the fabulous area we are fortunate to live in and a desire to help maintain it. In my spare time I enjoy travelling, most sports and reading.
Sue Frankis, Parish Clerk and Responsible Financial Officer (RFO)
I’ve been a parish clerk & RFO since 2005 and gained the Certificate in Local Council Administration (CiLCA) in 2008.
I enjoy the varied aspects of the role of a clerk; although the structure of the workload remains a constant, no two days are ever the same.
The Clerk is employed by the Council and is the only proper officer of the Copdock & Washbrook Parish Council. My role is to help and guide the Council on governance and procedural matters, making sure their decisions are lawful, as well as the day-to-day administration of the Council.
I’ve been in my role at Copdock & Washbrook Parish Council since September 2023 and am very much enjoying it. Everyone is friendly and I’m very impressed by the way in which the community works together for the good of all.
Outside of work, I enjoy crafts, gardening, travel, going to the theatre and concerts.
Telephone - 07849055699
