I see that someone is calling for the Town Council to go back to Belle Vue House and be the centre of an amalgamated Sudbury, Cornard and Chilton and that the Town Hall could be used for community use.
Firstly, Chilton doesn't want it. Why would a small parish want to go in with 2 big partners. The future is partnership working as we do by employing the 2 Community Wardens.
Secondly and most importantly, the Town Council would have to purchase Belle Vue House as this building would be transferred to the new Unitary Authority.
So why did the Town Council speculatively buy that piece of land behind the Town Hall - only for new offices!
Why would they purchase Belle Vue House for "new offices" too?
As for amalgamating Sudbury and Cornard, some councillors would like the "power", the kudos, or even to be Mayor of both? But no one is talking about it because its not needed.
Everything can be done by partnership working.
They might border each other but Sudbury and Cornard are still different communities.
Bigger is not always better.
Anyway, till the new Unitary authorities for Suffolk arrive we dont know what extra responsibilities the town council/parish councils will get if any at all.
Thursday, 11 December 2008
Babergh tries to limit future housing growth
At Strategy Committee the other day we were considering demands to increase housing growth for the South Suffolk area beyond existing levels. The Government really wants this for 2021-31. EERA also want us to consider where the new houses would then go.
Martyn Booth and I argued that we should not accept this increase in growth rate. Our infrastructure in towns such as Sudbury,Cornard and Hadleigh has not been improved by County or Government in fact we had seen services lost due to centralisation. Any increase in growth would most likely go into the market towns. This would be unacceptable.
The Committee totally agreed and it was good that we had total cross party support.
Martyn Booth and I argued that we should not accept this increase in growth rate. Our infrastructure in towns such as Sudbury,Cornard and Hadleigh has not been improved by County or Government in fact we had seen services lost due to centralisation. Any increase in growth would most likely go into the market towns. This would be unacceptable.
The Committee totally agreed and it was good that we had total cross party support.
If Brown is to save the world?
Fans of the BBC2 series "Heroes" will know that to save the world Gordon Brown will have to save the cheer leader. But finding a cheer leader for this Government might be a problem for this Primeminister!
Wednesday, 10 December 2008
chance of a western bypass?
The announcement that nearly 100 road schemes across the East of England are bidding for just over half a billion pounds upto 2019means that we will be lucky to get our much needed relief road.
Suffolk County Council may have put it on a list but alongside 9 other Suffolk schemes means the odds are small.
At the same time, Suffolk have struggled to do any traffic management in the town. This was a precursor to getting a bypass. BUT here is the sting in the tail. If we are unlikely to get a bypass for another 10+ years minimum then what traffic management are they going to put in to deal with the traffic growth with existing housing development or any other ones? What are your plans Conservatives at Suffolk? Do you have any? Or as your tactic of promising every market town that needed a bypass knowing full well the funding wouldn't be there so you could blame the Government for it, been found out?
Why not be honest with communities and bid for what is actually achievable rather than being disingenuous. We need some solutions to our traffic, a bypass would help us to make roads safer to promote cycling and walking but some radical, new ideas are needed in the mean time?
Suffolk County Council may have put it on a list but alongside 9 other Suffolk schemes means the odds are small.
At the same time, Suffolk have struggled to do any traffic management in the town. This was a precursor to getting a bypass. BUT here is the sting in the tail. If we are unlikely to get a bypass for another 10+ years minimum then what traffic management are they going to put in to deal with the traffic growth with existing housing development or any other ones? What are your plans Conservatives at Suffolk? Do you have any? Or as your tactic of promising every market town that needed a bypass knowing full well the funding wouldn't be there so you could blame the Government for it, been found out?
Why not be honest with communities and bid for what is actually achievable rather than being disingenuous. We need some solutions to our traffic, a bypass would help us to make roads safer to promote cycling and walking but some radical, new ideas are needed in the mean time?
Friday, 5 December 2008
First the Community Hospital, next post offices, then the tax office, finally the magistrates court?
The Government has announced the closure of South Suffolk's only tax office. So what? many would say but in a rural area the centralisation of services whether due to cost cutting (or is it efficiency gains?) or the greater use of the internet rather than face to face has a detrimental effect on an area where public transport is infrequent and poor for many.
But it isnt just tax offices, we have already lost several post offices and the threat still hangs over the use of local justice in our only Magistrate court and exactly where will some of the beds that are in Walnuttree hospital end up being?
Services in rural areas are more expensive to deliver so the pressure to centralise is obvious but the social cost and the financial cost to the customer in time off work or even the environmental cost in travelling further mean officals need to have a rethink.
Our market towns grow, our rural population grows but the services move further away. Not all are ICT gurus or even trust the security of some sites and some may even want to leave their homes and reassuringly talk to someone(!)
In a rural area like South Suffolk our market towns of Sudbury and Hadleigh need to be service centres so other visits and money is spent here. Government needs to understand rural areas better.
But it isnt just tax offices, we have already lost several post offices and the threat still hangs over the use of local justice in our only Magistrate court and exactly where will some of the beds that are in Walnuttree hospital end up being?
Services in rural areas are more expensive to deliver so the pressure to centralise is obvious but the social cost and the financial cost to the customer in time off work or even the environmental cost in travelling further mean officals need to have a rethink.
Our market towns grow, our rural population grows but the services move further away. Not all are ICT gurus or even trust the security of some sites and some may even want to leave their homes and reassuringly talk to someone(!)
In a rural area like South Suffolk our market towns of Sudbury and Hadleigh need to be service centres so other visits and money is spent here. Government needs to understand rural areas better.
Thursday, 4 December 2008
"No" to Chilton Quarry
Great news that the second proposal to build a Quarry at Chilton has been refused. An appeal is due on the first application in the New Year.
When the Police oppose an application on road safety grounds then I really think that officals should listen and proposers of the scheme realise that this is a no go.
There is a little sting though that campaigners need to think about. The Chilton Woods development will need a source of aggregate etc and the soil removed from the site will need to be disposed of. Lorry movements from that are going to be a problem for Sudbury and the villages on the A134/131. There is a need to think how this will be minimised.
When the Police oppose an application on road safety grounds then I really think that officals should listen and proposers of the scheme realise that this is a no go.
There is a little sting though that campaigners need to think about. The Chilton Woods development will need a source of aggregate etc and the soil removed from the site will need to be disposed of. Lorry movements from that are going to be a problem for Sudbury and the villages on the A134/131. There is a need to think how this will be minimised.
Monday, 1 December 2008
Christmas Lights
Friday night saw the new Christmas lights turned on in Sudbury successfully. The layout is different to previous years, they use alot less energy and they give a better ambience. Please give your views on what you think.
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