LAXFIELD
Site run by the parish council
Site run by the parish council
Site run by the parish council
David moved to East Anglia in 1974, aged 24, but had known the southern part of Suffolk since childhood as his father was raised in Nayland.
He worked for 24 years in local authority road maintenance, leaving as a direct labour manager for half the county before taking on a BSc in Development Studies at UEA. He then worked in the private sector as a Contracts/Operations Manager before retiring in 2015.
Having known Laxfield for over 30 years, David relocated here with his wife in 2016. Always interested in local matters, he joined the Neighbourhood Plan Group in 2017 and then the PC in 2018. David is also a founding member and Chair of Laxfield Community Land Trust.
Sally has lived in Laxfield with her husband and three children since 2001. She has moved house twice and each time gets nearer to the Low House.
Sally’s background is in PR & Marketing plus a 10 year stint in education after training as a Mathematics and Business Studies teacher. Sally’s work now focuses on e-commerce.
Since joining the Parish Council in January 2021, Sally has joined the Green Spaces Working Group and represents the Council at SALC meetings. She has also been a Lay Elder in Laxfield for around 10 years.
Sarah is the fifth generation of her family to live in Laxfield. Having always lived in this lovely village it was an easy choice to settle here and raise her two girls in such a wonderful community.
Sarah worked for over 14 years for a company that manufactures fuel-saving aerodynamics for commercial vehicles, where she assisted with production schedules and UK/Europe transportation before becoming Sales Office Manager. During Covid she decided a career change worked better for her family, allowing more time with her children. Sarah now works at the village preschool as the baby room leader (having gained a level 3 diploma in early years education) where she enjoys working with and supporting local families.
Sarah joined the Parish Council in February 2024 and is looking forward to becoming involved with multiple groups and committees.
Ollie lives on the edge of the parish with his partner Lucy and their son Hunter, having moved from a cottage in Stradbroke to their Laxfield farmhouse in 2019.
Shortly afterwards they started a business installing wood burning stoves. They then relocated into a static caravan whilst renovating the house and awaited the arrival of baby Hunter. Easy!
Ollie has known the parish for around 15 years but is keen to get more involved in making a terrific place even better. He joined the Parish Council in May 2023, has already arranged the scrap metal collection, is an integral part of the Pavilion Development Team and is a PC Rep on the Village Hall Management Committee.
Sue has lived just outside Laxfield since 2003, on a smallholding for which there is a rolling ten-year plan …. the list of jobs (as well as the list of animals) just keeps getting longer!
Sue has a background in architecture, environmental science and sustainability, with a particular specialism in sustainable construction.
Having joined the Parish Council in 2018, Sue became Chair in 2019. She is also a member of a number of committees and working groups, including the Planning Committee and the Green Spaces Working Group, and is Chair of the Laxfield Neighbourhood Plan Group.
Debbie has lived in Laxfield since 1991 – arriving in February when snow was knee-high, the removal men had to stay the night and all water pipes in the house were frozen solid!
Having trained as a graphic designer specialising in Corporate Identity and Branding, Debbie now has a less formal existence on the outskirts of the village.
Debbie has been a Parish Councillor since May 2019 and is a member of various committees and working groups. She is also a founding member of Laxfield Community Land Trust, which strives to provide affordable rented housing in perpetuity, for people living in and associated with Laxfield.
Born and bred in Laxfield, Lisa attended Laxfield Primary School and later raised her two children in the village.
Lisa has always worked locally and over the years has forged many strong bonds within the community. She currently works as a private support worker, in the local hardware store and in The Royal Oak public house, and is also an active member of the monthly Community Market team. She spends any free time enjoying the outdoors with her grandchildren and dogs.
Lisa has been a Parish Councillor since 2019. She is a member of the Grounds Committee and the Finance Committee as well as acting as a Representative for Laxfield’s popular Museum.
Rob was born in Colchester and started his working life in the long hot summer of ’76. After a couple of job changes he finally found his career lay in the IT industry. He then spent the next twenty five years in various roles, ending up in as a technical support manager. It was in his early fifties that Rob took stock and changed his career completely. He became a civil servant and had many challenging roles in different government departments, before finally deciding to retire completely in 2021.
After the lockdowns Rob became involved with Laxfield Market. Since March 2022 he has been co-ordinating the bookings for the markets and can be seen most market days wandering around talking to the stall holders, as well as helping to set up and take down the market gazebos.
Rob became a Parish Councillor in October 2022 after attending a few meetings to see how it all works. He is a member of the Finance Committee and the Green Spaces Working Group.
Sally and her husband Rob bought their cottage in Laxfield in 2018 and after much renovation finally moved in two years later.
Having worked with severe special needs children aged from two years up to young adults, specialising in Autism for over 20 years, Sally retired in 2020 when she moved to the village.
Sally joined Laxfield Parish Council in October 2022 and is a member of the Laxfield Community Market Group. She can be found on the Bacon Bap Stall during most markets donning her ‘The Bap Girls’ apron alongside her partner in baps who wears the other one!
Originally from Yorkshire, Karen lived all over the country before moving to rural Suffolk in 2013 where she lives in a converted barn in the village of Badingham with her husband Martin.
After a long career in HR and Change Management for a number of organisations, both employed and as a consultant, Karen’s move to Suffolk prompted a change in lifestyle that enabled her to combine her professional expertise with a more community-orientated role.
Karen was appointed Laxfield Parish Clerk in May 2019. A pivotal member of the team, she is involved with all committees and working groups. She focusses on financial controls and ensures that all actions identified in meetings and the Parish Infrastructure Investment Plan are delivered. “It is a privilege to be part of such a vibrant, forward-thinking group whilst still learning new things every day!” says Karen.
Laxfield Parish Councillors Latest Parish Council Briefings Agendas – Parish Council Meetings Minutes – Parish Council Meetings Finance Policies & Procedures Planning - Agendas, Minutes, Miscellaneous Parish Infrastructure Investment Plan (PIIP) Annual Parish Meetings – Documents Cemetery
