We're building for better in Bildeston, with over £1 million of investment to strengthen the water network, reducing bursts and interruptions for the community. We'll use this page to give updates on our progress once our work starts.

We’re installing a kilometre of brand-new water pipes along the High Street to help cut down bursts and keep taps flowing.

Come and see the team!

Before the work gets underway, we want to work closely with everyone living and working in Bildeston. If you have any questions about how the roadworks might affect you, or just want to understand what to expect, please come and have a chat with the team.

We’re holding a drop-in event at Chamberlin Hall on 14 April, between 2pm and 6:30pm, so you can speak to the team delivering the work and see all of our roadworks plans and maps.

When and where will the new pipes be installed?

Our new pipes will be installed underground along High Street. The pipeline will start from the Ipswich Road junction and will carry on up the High Street until the end of the village. We’ll start installing the new pipes on 22 June, and if everything goes smoothly, we’ll be finished in November.

What roadworks will we need?

We know road closures are disruptive and that’s why they’re always a last resort for us. We’ll always look at other options first, working closely with the local authority to agree the safest way to carry out the work. Because of where the new pipe needs to go in the road, we will need to close High Street in sections, so we can keep road users, local residents and our teams safe while we get the job done.

When road closures are in place a signposted diversion route will be in place via Hitcham, Cross Green, Stowmarket and Needham Market.

This is our current plan for the roadworks, but the dates are very likely to change as the work progresses. We’ll keep this page updated so you always have the latest information.

Here’s what we’ll have in place while we work:

What	Where	Start	End
Phase 1 road closure and traffic lights	Ipswich Road and the High Street	22 June	26 June
Phase 2 road closure	High Street from the junction of Ipswich Road to the entrance to the health centre (entrance to remain open)	29 June	17 July
Phase 3 road closure	North of the entrance to the Health Centre to the junction of Newberry Road leaving access into Newberry Road	20 July	31 July
Phase 4a road closure	North of the entrance to Newberry Road to the car park of The Crown	3 August	14 August
Phase 4b road closure	North side of The Crown car park to the junction of Chapel Street	17 August	28 August
Phase 4c road closure	Chapel Street to Duke Street	31 August	4 September
Phase 5 road closure	Duke Street to Wattisham Road	7 September	29 September
Phase 6 road closure	Wattisham Road to the end of the village	30 September	13 November
Phase 7	Bildeston Road to Ipswich Road	TBC early 2027	TBC early 2027

What
Phase 1 road closure and traffic lights

Where
Ipswich Road and the High Street

Start
22 June

End
26 June

What
Phase 2 road closure

Where
High Street from the junction of Ipswich Road to the entrance to the health centre (entrance to remain open)

Start
29 June

End
17 July

What
Phase 3 road closure

Where
North of the entrance to the Health Centre to the junction of Newberry Road leaving access into Newberry Road

Start
20 July

End
31 July

What
Phase 4a road closure

Where
North of the entrance to Newberry Road to the car park of The Crown

Start
3 August

End
14 August

What
Phase 4b road closure

Where
North side of The Crown car park to the junction of Chapel Street

Start
17 August

End
28 August

What
Phase 4c road closure

Where
Chapel Street to Duke Street

Start
31 August

End
4 September

What
Phase 5 road closure

Where
Duke Street to Wattisham Road

Start
7 September

End
29 September

What
Phase 6 road closure

Where
Wattisham Road to the end of the village

Start
30 September

End
13 November

What
Phase 7

Where
Bildeston Road to Ipswich Road

Start
TBC early 2027

End
TBC early 2027

We'll add the maps to the above table soon so you can see exactly where each section is.

Frequently asked questions

Why does the pipe need to be replaced?

The water pipes along High Street have reached the end of their useful life. This has led to over 30 bursts in the past 5 years, which we know has meant low pressure or a loss of supply for some of you. We’re really sorry. That’s why we’re installing brand-new pipes now, to reduce the chances of future bursts and keep your water flowing as it should.

Why does the road need to be closed?

We looked at ways to keep traffic moving, however due to the narrow width of the road this means it wouldn’t be safe and there wouldn’t be enough room to let traffic past while we work.

How will you keep the community updated?

We’ll share updates through letters, emails, text messages, this page will be updated weekly and via social media.

Will the work be noisy?

There will be some construction noise, especially for people who live down High Street. We will do everything we can to keep noise to a minimum and will aim to move any particularly noisy work to later in the day.

Will the road be resurfaced and potholes fixed afterwards?

We’ll need to dig trenches in the road to lay the new pipes. Once that work is finished, we’ll refill the trenches and repair the road surface with new tarmac. This will be along the sections where we’ve been working, but we won’t be resurfacing the full width of the road.

Will the footpaths stay open?

Yes, the footpaths will stay open for pedestrians. But please take extra care when you're walking past our work.

Will I lose my water supply during the work?

We’ll try to avoid interruptions where we can. But if we need to switch your water off for a short period at any point, we’ll always let you know in advance.

How can I contact you if I’d like to know more?

You can contact us by phone on 03457 919 155 or via email at mlcustomers@anglianwater.co.uk and one of the team will be happy to help.

What about emergency vehicle access?

We will always work with the emergency services and, where it is safe, allow access through the work. If it is not safe at the time, they will need to use the agreed diversion route.

Will businesses stay open?

All business will stay open, and we’ll provide access where we can. We’re working with local businesses to understand how our work will impact them and how we can support them throughout. Access will always be available to businesses along the High Street you may just need to take an alternative route to reach them or travel by foot. Please continue to use your local businesses during our work.

Will we be compensated as a result of the road closure for extra mileage

We appreciate that following diversion routes can be frustrating and may add extra time or mileage to your journey, and we’re sorry for the disruption this causes. Unfortunately, we’re unable to offer compensation for additional mileage caused by diversion routes. This is the same approach taken by the highways authority.

As we carry out hundreds of essential projects across the region, providing compensation for diversion routes would mean less funding available to invest in maintaining and improving the water network for our customers.

Discover how we're building for better

Hear from the teams that are getting the work done.