Village

DUNWICH HEATH WILDFIRE

Westleton activated its emerging Emergency Plan on the evening of 29 July and has since served as an evacuation point and co-ordination hub for those forced to leave Dunwich and nearby areas affected by the Dunwich Heath wildfire. Westleton Village Hall was stood down as a REST centre on 1 August, but remains open as an information centre until Monday 10 August.

CURRENT STATUS
The situation remains very active. It is hoped that the appliances on site can be reduced to just those from Suffolk Fire and Rescue over the coming weekend. The fire remains a major incident due to high temperatures and burning roots, primarily underground. The firebreaks will be turned over again to break down burning roots and roadblocks will remain in place to ensure continued access for the emergency services. Walkers, dog walkers, cyclists and drone users have been seen nearby. Please continue to avoid the area to help keep access routes clear and allow the emergency services to operate safely and efficiently.

Current road closures
The following closure points remain in place:
Point A: Westleton Road, just east of the Minsmere Road junction
Point B: Dunwich Road at the junction with The Street
Point C: Mill Street at the junction with Bakers Lane
Point D: Access point north of Eastbridge
These closures are being managed by Suffolk Highways and emergency service personnel.

Public rights of way and coastal access
A number of public footpaths, bridleways and sections of the England Coast Path in and around Dunwich Heath remain closed.
Members of the public are urged not to enter closed areas, even where no emergency personnel are immediately visible. These restrictions are in place due to ongoing safety concerns, including active firefighting activity, unstable ground, damaged vegetation, machinery movements and the potential for changing conditions. Detailed closure maps and diversion information can be viewed on the front page, of the Discover Suffolk website (Walking, Cycling and Riding in Suffolk - Discover Suffolk).

Areas that remain accessible

The wider Suffolk coast remains open to visitors, and members of the public are encouraged to check the latest information before travelling. Visitors should use only signed and officially open routes and avoid attempting to bypass barriers or closure points.



EVACUATION & DISPLACED PERSONS
Many of those who were evacuated were accommodated in homes around the village between 29 July and 1 August. Between 7 and 9 August, there will be two windows for displaced persons to return to collect any belongings left behind and to secure their properties. Anyone requiring more information should contact the Joint Emergency Planning Unit (JEPU) by email at emergency.planning@suffolk.gov.uk or by calling 01473 265321 or 01284 776100.
JEPU is currently in the process of contacting all registered displaced persons to make arrangements. If you are concerned that you may not have been included on this register, please use the contact details above or email Richard Green, the Parish Clerk at clerk@westletonparishcouncil.gov.uk or call 07983 340721, and he will forward your details to the relevant co-ordinators.


WESTLETON DEBRIEF
On 6 August, Westleton Parish Council held a meeting of its Community Engagement Steering Group together with Westleton Village Hall and Dunwich Parish Meeting for an initial formal debrief of the situation. A summary of the findings and actions agreed is:
  • There have already been four walk-arounds at Westleton Common in the wake of the fire. One firebreak at the Common has been turned over again and sites have been identified for potential further firebreaks on the north and south Common. The Parish Council is exploring options for pursuing this.
  • It has been proposed to install fire beater racks, each with three fire beaters, at eight locations – five around the Common, one at the Allotments, one at the Church, and one at the Community Field.
  • The Community Engagement Steering Group will work together to look at ways to enhance communications, such as by way of website harmonisation, WhatsApp groups and email bulletins. Coupled with this, the group will explore options for improving the mobile phone signal in Westleton, which has been identified as a key weak point.
  • The Parish Council and its Community Engagement Steering Group will look to arrange a meeting with key stakeholders, including the RSPB, the National Trust, Natural England, JEPU, and the Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service for a joint debrief and reflection in due course, in order to better understand what happened and to document the lessons learnt.
  • The Community Engagement Steering Group will be working over the coming weeks and months to further build on Westleton's Emergency Plan to incorporate the lessons learnt.
  • A public Parish Meeting will be held on Monday 24 August at 19:00 in Westleton Church to give the public the opportunity to have their say. More information on this meeting will be published shortly.
 
THANK YOU
Since 29 July, we have received many incredibly kind offers of assistance from neighbouring parishes, individuals, and organisations. At this stage, no further assistance is anticipated, although that may change and this page will be updated accordingly. The solidarity shown so far has been truly heartwarming. A debt of gratitude is also owed to all of the amazing volunteers, emergency service workers, and other stakeholders who have ensured the safety and wellbeing of all those affected in this unprecedented situation.

 

DONATION APPEAL
In the wake of the wildfire, Westleton Parish Council has initiated a donation appeal on behalf of Westleton Village Hall in order to help cover some of the additional running costs that it has incurred over the past few days while acting as a relief centre, shelter, and information and co-ordination hub. Any donation, no matter how small, would be very gratefully received. You can make a donation by clicking HERE, or by scanning the QR code below:

Westleton Parish Council

Last updated: 15:12 on 7/8/2026

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Westleton is situated some 2 miles in from the Suffolk coast, roughly mid-way between Ipswich and Lowestoft and approximately 100 miles from London.

It is set in a landscape of Outstanding Natural Beauty and within the parish lies the internationally renowned Minsmere Reserve, owned and managed by the RSPB.

Westleton Heath National Nature Reserve and parts of Dunwich Forest also lie within the parish.
The majority of the 342 inhabitants live close to the B1125 Blythburgh to Leiston road, the remainder living in scattered cottages and farmhouses in this otherwise agricultural landscape.                                     

Photo: Westleton Camera Club

The Village Hall and St Peters Church are the focal points of village activities, whilst The Crown Inn is the main social centre.

The parish of Westleton is bounded by the parishes of Dunwich, Darsham, Middleton cum Fordley and Theberton cum Eastbridge.

The place name Westleton (or Westledestuna as it appeared in the Domesday Book of 1086) is believed to derive from the Old Norse Vestlithi (a personal name) and Old English tun i.e. Vestlithi's homestead.

Westleton Parish Council has published its Website Accessibility Statement which can be found in the left hand column of this page. Contact the Webmaster for any questions about this site.

 

Events

The Village hosts of plethora of events every month, details of which can be found within the monthly Yoxmere Fisherman magazine which is distributed to every home across the benefice. The Village Hall is at the heart of most activities with a full listing on their Facebook page.

 

Latest news from the Parish Clerk

I am very much hoping that by the time this edition lands, there will have been some meaningful rainfall. As I write, the Common is like a tinderbox, and the Parish Council would like to remind everyone to exercise extreme caution when having barbecues or bonfires anywhere near the Common.

I know that our allotment plot-holders are also performing every rain dance available at the moment. Thankfully, Essex and Suffolk Water finally signed off the allotment site’s water supply in late June, which is some relief. I’m also pleased to say that our allotmenteers now have a space to sit and socialise, following the very kind donation of some repurposed picnic benches by Frances and Kevin Berry.

Speaking of benches, the War Memorial garden is now home to a smart new bench generously donated by The Westleton Crown. I’ll put a coat of protective varnish on that shortly as part of my garden maintenance, which I’ve started taking care of for the council on a self-employed basis – please do feel free to get in touch with me by email if you have any suggestions for the garden in the months ahead.

Responses to the Village Survey are continuing to trickle in, with around one-third of residents having now responded. It would be excellent if we could increase this to at least half, so if you’ve not yet responded to the survey, please do so before 31st August. As a reminder, you can access the survey online. Paper surveys are still available to pick up from and drop off at the Village Hall, the Post Office, The Crown pub, and the Church.

On the administration side, the Parish Council has had a busy time in respect of planning applications, working closely with our colleagues at Darsham Parish Council to formulate a response to proposals to convert a former nursing home in Darsham into a 41-room aparthotel. Both councils have committed to pooling resources and working together more closely on planning matters going forwards.

Continuing on the theme of inter-parish co-operation, Westleton and Yoxford parish councils are exploring ways they can work together to put the finishing touches to their emergency plans, and Westleton is continuing to work with neighbouring parishes in respect of Sizewell C traffic and the B1125, attending two meetings on the subject in July, one of which was with Jenny Riddell-Carpenter MP. Reports on these meetings can be found on the website. The next SZC Northern Transport Forum will take place on 5th August – please just drop me an email if you have any questions that you would like raised.

The Parish Council’s internal audit was completed in June with a positive report, and I have now put together an audit action plan to address the recommendations made. The council’s accounts are open for public inspection until 10th August, and the full-year accounts, internal audit report, and audit action plan are always available to view online.

Finally, in a change to the information published in my last report, the council has decided to coincide its monthly surgeries with the regular Soup & Pud event at the village hall, and so the timings have changed slightly to 12:30 to 13:30. Please check the website or noticeboard for the latest surgery dates.

As always, I can be contacted by email, and I wish you all a lovely rest of your summer!

Richard Green - Westleton Parish Council Clerk