Top performer

Thanks to your hard work St Edmundsbury are one the best amongst district and borough councils in the country for waste and recycling. In 2004/05 we were the first borough in the country to recycle 50% of household waste. This compares to an average of 23% across the country. Much of this success is due to the three bin collection system and the willingness of the people of St Edmundsbury to recycle more. For more information on how we achieved this and our goals for the future please visit our History of waste management page.

What is the Beacon Council Scheme?

The Beacon Council Scheme is at the heart of the Government's plans to modernise local government; activating the provision of better local services and enabling the local community to have a greater say about what happens in their local community.

The role of the Beacon Council is to set the pace of change and act as a centre of excellence by spreading best practice and sharing experience. A good council should:

• be forward looking and innovative;
• deploy resources effectively;
• have a clear vision;
• undertake a rigorous performance review; and
• work in partnership.

Ministers selected Beacon Councils on the basis of advice of an independent advisory panel who recommended councils that are good across the board and excellent in particular services.

St Edmundsbury Borough Council was awarded Beacon Council status in the theme sustainable development: dealing with waste for 2000-2001. In 2006-2007, as part of the Suffolk Waste Partnership, we were awarded it again for waste and recycling.

Bury in Bloom

Bury St Edmunds is famous worldwide for its stunning year-round floral displays. The Bury in Bloom committee, working in conjunction with St Edmundsbury Borough Council, and with money raised from local businesses and the Bury St Edmunds Town Council ensures there is a profusion of magnificent hanging baskets outside town centre shops and businesses and on special stands in the main shopping streets. These are watered and maintained by our Landscapes Department. For further information please see our Bury in Bloom page.

Anglia in Bloom Best Large Town Winners 2001-2007

Bury St Edmunds was the winner in the large town category and we won a  Gold Award in the Anglia in Bloom 2007 competition! We were also awarded an Environmental Quality Award for the cleanest town. In the Britain in Bloom competition we achieved a Silver Gilt Award for the Best Large Town. In 2008 we won two gold awards including one for the large town category.

Bury St Edmunds has won the Best Large Town Award from Anglia in Bloom every year since 2001.