We are told that Godfrey Spanner is bankrupt but that SnOasis will still be built some day.  That’s a bit difficult to believe and many local people will hope this is the end but it is a pity to lose economic development.  I am afraid that my view has always been that the business case was based in hope rather than sound analysis of the facts so I am not surprised. 

I believe that the funding for the station will not now be available so we won’t get the improved access to Ipswich and London but neither will local residents suffer the increased traffic they feared.

We now need to know if the district council is an unsecured creditor.  I wonder just how difficult it will be to get a clear answer?  I hope we will find that developers pay for planning activities up front.

Looking to the future we probably need an alternative for the site that will get local support.  That must mean something that does not generate a lot of traffic, we have quite enough with the housing and incinerator.  Perhaps a more natural area for recreation or just leave it as it is!

People have asked if the last 113\114 service that now goes via Claydon could be diverted through Bramford.  County officers feel this is a reasonable idea and are looking at this proposal to make sure that it would not be prevented by the limits on drivers hours of work.  It looks hopeful.

Yet again I have more than one  parish council to attend tonight.  It is just imp0ossible to get them to meet on different nights.  Why everyone on the second Monday of the month?  The problem is that I need to sit in for a substantial portion of the meeting to learn just what is concerning the councillors.  A rush round also makes it difficult for residents to visit their parish council and be certain that they can hold their district and county councillors to account.

My report for tonight is on the pull down list under “Parish Reports”

Michael Blakenham came first with 731 votes and I followed with 584 so we are your councillors for the next two or four years depending on how you vote in the referendum on the merger of Mid Suffolk and Babergh.   Thanks top all who voted for me.

We must now get on with the task and deliver on our commitments.   Important tasks are

The revision of the major block of affordable housing at Masons Works to avoid the recently discovered power cable.

Ensuring that the Incinerator plan is resisted but should it be approved that traffic issues are dealt with and there is some spin off for the local parishes  ( Michael will have to deliver the Judicial Review he promised)

The Household Waste Recycling Centre is retained in some form.  At County I must continue to campaign for the site to continue or at least for the county to continue to pay the landfill tax on waste disposed of.  (Michael will need to deliver on his promised private sector company to collect the waste and deal with the recycling)

I must continue to campaign for a non-punitive defined deal between the county and the parish on the water meadow transfer.

I must try to negotiate with the administration the restoration of some form of evening bus service to Bramford.

I must try to get a vehicle activated speed sign for The Street or persuade the parish council to set up a community speed watch team.  I can supply the money to purchase a speed gun.

To add to the list post a reply on my “Things to fix in Gipping Valley” page 

Household Waste Recycling Centres have been the issue of the day.  Concerns have been just as we anticipoated when we proposed alternative action to the County.  People don’t want to face Ipswich traffic on the way to recycle their waste, they don’t want to see Mid Suffolk District Council paying to recover additional fly tipping.

We have got the County to see sense on other things so we must continue the fight on this issue.

Well, all leaflets and all letters have been delivered.  The good side effects are a thorough look round the ward and some very rewarding conversations.   It is cheering to see just how well kept the vast majority of houses and gardens are.  However there are the odd or two one that need a good clean up.  District owned land needs some attention, particularly the bit on Acton Road.  I will point that out to MSDC officers yet again. Continue reading 4th May Late →

In today’s Guardian the Labour Party says “Since Nick Clegg, Vince Cable and Chris Huhne put the Tories in government last year…”  Unbelievable!

Did they fail to spot that with our first past the post voting system the Tories got more MP’s than Labour?  Labour plus the Lib Dems plus any others who might have supported Labour would not have had a majority.  The Tories could have formed a minority government, they had most seats.  Makes you wonder about labour brain power. Continue reading The AV Campaign →

Many people have not decided.  There is a lot of  mis-information from the No Campaign (should I just say Tories?).  They don’t want elections defined by anyone but Conservative voters.  Only their views must be heard, democracy is the right to vote for them.  To quote a local candidate “If you want the supporters of extreme parties and joke candidates to determine the outcome at Westminster you’ll support AV”.  So Greens, UKIP, Labour and Liberal Democrats should not be able to have a say.  Of course Conservatives forget that any party, they included, can have a small number of supporters in some areas.  Those supporters should able to make their choices without being forced into tactical voting on what may well be inaccurate information.

The thought that the true “extreme parties and joke candidates” with their very few voters will have any dramatic influence on final outcomes is just ridiculous.   Continue reading AV-for better or worse? →

Last night the MSDC Scrutiny Committee led by Lib Dem Martin Redbond took Lisa Chambers to task for her plan to close the HWRCs at Broom and Bramford.  She explained the process that led to the need for closure and the selection of the sites to be closed.

Closure was necessary to cope with reductions in government grant and the choice of sites depended on re-cycling rates, number of visits, distance to alternative sites and the extent to which they were used by people from neighbouring counties.  Just how Bramford rates badly on these criteria is difficult to see.  Our nearest alternative is in the middle of Ipswich and is already overcrowded. Continue reading Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRC)-Closure →