David Ruffley MP met Chairman of the Bury St Edmunds Society, Sarah Green, and committee members of the Society on Friday 18 July to discuss heritage issues in the town.

Friday's meeting was a prelude to a debate which David will be launching over the coming months about how people in Bury see its heritage developing over the next decade- '2020 vision'.

David said: 'The Bury Society is a well respected group in the town and I am always willing to listen to their concerns.

'The strong message from Friday's meeting was concern about the future of important council buildings after the new unitary councils are established in 2009.

'I have written to Cllr John Griffiths, Leader of St Edmundsbury Borough Council, and Cllr Jeremy Pembroke, Leader of Suffolk County Council to ask if there is a moratorium on decisions about the disposal of these important buildings before 2009 and what plans they have to restrict their future use.

'The heritage of Bury St Edmunds is very special and deserves to be preserved for future generations. The town cannot stand still but we do need to ensure that the buildings we cherish are not downgraded in the name of progress.'