Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Councils (B&MS) are a dual authority who have achieved significant efficiencies and transformations across multiple sectors. Their innovations and transformation of numerous divisions in their areas led to them winning the 2024 IESE Council of the Year Award.
One of their most impressive innovations was their decision to redevelop their council office sites, repurposing them for new services. With many councils experiencing a reduction of in-person use of office sites, enabling redevelopment of these locations can open new opportunities, and this is something B&MS considered and acted upon.
Building Redeveloping & Repurposing
Several of the previous HQ sites throughout B&MS have undergone transformation as part of their redevelopment plan. Locations such as the BSC Former HQ in Hadleigh have undergone plans for the redevelopment of the existing buildings into 49 units with homes for market sale, as well as 1,2,3, and 4 bed apartments and cottages with a range of prices from £190k to £450k.
Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Councils have, over the last ten years, delivered 700 new affordable homes and 20 market homes directly and through acquisitions. By utilising HE Grants, RTB receipts and HRA borrowing, they have ensured funding for their affordable homes.
When pursuing the goal to deliver market & affordable housing in the districts, the primary purpose was to regenerate the former council offices and, in doing so, also bring benefits to the local communities.
Notable Redevelopments
B&MS redeveloped more than just council office sites; they also regenerated local authority distinct buildings such as care homes and schools that were no longer in use.
One property that went through this change was Angel Court in Hadleigh. This property was a former care home that closed in 2014, which was then purchased from the Suffolk County Council. From this property, 21 new homes were delivered. These homes were a mixture of 9 social and affordable rent homes and 12 shared ownership homes. The whole scheme for this redevelopment cost £3 million.
Other locations that saw redevelopment included Stowmarket Middle School. This former Middle School site was purchased from Suffolk County Council and was a complex site that required high levels of stakeholder engagement from the team. However, while challenging, this regeneration ended up delivering 42 new homes for social renting, shared ownership and affordable renting. It was the first of the sites regenerated by B&MS to include a 4-bed shared ownership plot, which sold well.
Finally, Needham Market Middle School also underwent redevelopment by the districts. This was another location that was purchased from the Suffolk County Council. The previous Middle School was redeveloped into a mixture of bungalows, flats and houses that were socially rented and available for shared ownership and affordable renting. Overall, 42 new homes were constructed, as well as a new library available for the community.
Insights into Redevelopment
These redevelopment projects were transformative in how they provided for the community and in the reuse of old buildings. With the housing crisis across the UK, concerns about building new homes are high, but what B&MS have done shows us that there are other ways to mitigate challenges. Rather than building new sites on undeveloped land, council-owned sites that are no longer in use can be repurposed for the community. These developments have opened space for new communities to flourish, for homes to be made available and affordable. Not only that, but these redevelopment plans remove previously empty or unused spaces. This gets rid of potentially unsightly spaces or unused buildings that can impact the mood of communities and area attractiveness for businesses.
Feedback from the community has been very positive, with some residents of these new developments stating they have found their forever homes. Communities in these new locations are flourishing, and with the districts also focusing on other areas such as their Stowmarket Innovation Gateway, the redevelopment of these buildings’ functions is in tandem with other community improvement projects.
IESE Awards
IESE is eager to see how other local authorities instigate changes for their local communities, and what innovations are being employed to combat unique local challenges. If your local authority has implemented strategic innovations to improve its local infrastructure, we encourage you to submit an application for the IESE Awards 2026. IESE wants to know what people are doing across the UK to improve the way we live.
To apply for the IESE Awards, please visit: www.iese.org.uk/public-sector-transformation-awards-2026
