It is amazing how County Highways can take so long to fix the potholes in places like Bacon Road, the approach to Claydon Primary School and Chapel Lane. The road surfaces need replacement but remain in a sorry state. Other roads are re-surfaced when they appear quite OK.
If there was an explanation (not an excuse) that we could see we might understand
District Councillors for this year only have a £5,000 budget to deploy in their wards to fund projects by community groups. They must of course align with Mid-Suffolk’s objectives. Forms to request grants of £250+ are available and your councillors will make final decisions by early January.
As a County Councillor, I also have my locality budget available and about £12,000 remains, after providing support for a Vehicle Activated Sign (VAS) in Henley and Hemingstone, pond refurbishment at Henley Primary and LED floodlights for Bramford Football Club.
I would like to support local community organisations to meet the needs of local residents, ideally but not exclusively, where county money leverages in funds from other bodies. Further VAS might be an idea.
The devolution discussions are wending their way forward. The government has stated that both Norfolk and Suffolk must be involved as in the LEP. A number of powers will be handed down only if an elected mayor controls a combined authority.
There is now a Norfolk and Suffolk Framework Document for Devolution, which gives a clearer list of ambitions. It opens “Devolution offers an exciting opportunity for greater local decision-making and influence to power economic growth and productivity and unlock the potential of Norfolk and Suffolk. The two counties have the scale, ambition and leadership to maximise the opportunities offered by additional freedoms and responsibilities. We also have the potential to grow our economy faster, with strengths in key sectors such as agri-tech, food & health, energy and the digital economy.”
The framework claims strengths as:
However, while our employment figures are among the best in the country, our skills and productivity levels are below the national average.
I believe the need to work with Norfolk and a wider variety of political parties has helped clarify the way forward. Negotiations continue.
This month a cabinet decision to tender for continuing community transport using a new structure was “called in”. Community transport is services like Dial a Ride that provide “on demand” transport to people not served by scheduled buses or trains. There have been a number of these services under various brands serving different communities and user groups. Their vehicles have been provided by the county and the services largely specified by county officers.
The proposal is that seven contracts would be let, one per district council so that people can easily know which they should phone to book a journey.
The current vehicles would be sold to the providers, a move that would allow a wider range of customers to be served. When the county owns vehicles providers cannot use them to provide some desirable services.
In addition, they can then select vehicles to meet the need as they see it rather than having to use what the county provides.
The county hopes that this will allow competition for services such as some forms of home to school transport that will use the assets more intensively.
So why was this called in? Well, among other issues, the intention was that, not only would the county no longer provide free vehicles saving some £570k but also it would reduce the subsidy from £1.4m to £700k over the next four years. The revenue from the new freedom to provide services was supposed to compensate.
Scrutiny believed it more likely that, although the providers would survive, service to people without other transport options will be cut.
We referred the decision back but cabinet decided there would be no change, so much for democracy!
Suffolk is one of four two-tier areas invited by the government to bid to run functions currently delivered by the government. In return, Suffolk would need to deliver agreed and improved outcomes without increasing costs.
The Suffolk Public Sector Leaders’ group, health, police and the New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership have constructed the bid. They believe that by having more control over what goes on in the county, we can deliver better outcomes for all of Suffolk’s communities.
Local knowledge and expertise of councillors will lead to more effective decision-making on issues that affect Suffolk’s communities.
Summarising a 14 page document is difficult but I believe the essentials are:
The bid proposes “a new Public Sector Board, a simple development and continuance of the current Suffolk Public Sector Leaders Group”. This would organise the efforts of the current Local Enterprise Boards, County and District councils, Health, Police and perhaps the local employment and pensions service.
The leaders want:
They promise
Councils will agree these proposals across the county and, if all goes well, they will have been submitted to government on 24th September.
If government accepts the bid, it will have an important impact on us all. I believe it looks rather light on a believable democratically controlled structure capable of driving the improvements promised. It also appears to confuse wishes, wants and intentions but it will develop and I hope succeed.
Well, after all the activity and stress, I am again District Councillor for Bramford and Blakenham. Combining this with my responsibilities as County Councillor for Gipping Valley is a challenge I enjoy. It is great to be able to deliver things people want across the spectrum of Council activities from planning to potholes and waste collection to care. However it is on occasion very frustrating when I can’t get something simple, like the bollards in Bramford Road in Gt Blakenham, cleaned adequately.
Many people have told me they value my efforts to keep you informed by writing in “In Touch” and by this web-site and I will continue to do so.
Unfortunately I have lost two valued, hard working colleagues, one in Claydon, and Liberal Democrat replacements were rejected. As you know it was not our day across the country. The Gipping Valley, from Woolpit via Stowmarket to Bramford and Sproughton is a great dumping ground for things not wanted in the dormitory areas of High Suffolk. It is close to Ipswich and the A14 so a logical area for growth but we must ensure it stays a good place to live with the schools, doctors’ surgeries and shops we need to keep our Suffolk way of life.
I believe we will now suffer even more traumatic austerity and the outsourcing of services to the advantage of private equity groups. People on benefits will take a hammering, and pensions are the largest part of the benefits budget so we must wait to see just who suffers to repair the damage some major banks did to the world economy.
The proposed IN/OUT referendum on Europe I see as a profound risk. It is democratic to seek the peoples opinion but I fear the power of biased parts of the media. They don’t like the power of a European Commission they can’t control. Will they persuade people to believe in some simple, exaggerated and wrong basis for decision? I do hope that people get enough clear information to make a sound judgement.
I will continue to work hard for you all
John Field
Results: Turnout 71.64%
| Candidate | Party | Votes |
| John Field | Liberal Democrats | 885 |
| Kevin Welsby | Conservative | 829 |
| Aprille Meakin | Conservative | 697 |
| Linda Scott | Suffolk Together | 668 |
| Neil Harrison | UKIP | 561 |
Well, it is time to vote! The Tory elite have told the population how they must vote, lets see how obedient we all are. Its rather like the divine right of kings that Charles 1st believed in. Now the divine right of Tories.
Nationally will we get enough seats to remain the source of the fair and sound policies of the centre ground or will the people who are intent on punishing us for the way they voted in 2010 succeed. Will they find they have punished themselves by voting for greater austerity that stops the economy in its tracks again? Will the NHS and Care services suffer even more and the mental health transformation that Nick Clegg and Norman Lamb have started come to rapid end?
In the district elections I will find if the people who tell me I have worked hard and delivered well are in the majority of those who chose to vote. An exciting wait until tomorrow afternoon.
Canvassing always feels a bit strange “will you vote for me?” but it is good to talk to people who are studying the options and not making their decisions lightly. Explaining that there are two district councillors in Bramford and Blakenham and one MP for Central Suffolk North Ipswich prompts questions about the County. Why both the Parliamentary and District election but not the County? Why am I not having to fight for my county council position. How is it that there is a Labour candidate for Parliament but not for the district?
What is the district responsible for? It is easy to overlook those that are managed without problems.
The List is
Waste Collection
Council Housing: managing the letting of the existing stock and organising decoration and upgrades.
Planning, determining where we would like development and then assessing proposals against policies and saying yes or no.
Environmental health particularly checking places where food is processed or sold.
Leisure facilities such as Stowmarket Leisure Centre and sports grounds.
Licencing of pubs and clubs
Does the council try to ensure developments protect the environment, are energy efficient, well insulated and use renewable energy? It does but it is an up hill struggle to get improvements that increase cost, even by a small amount.