Sudbury bus station regeneration. Hope for a cinema?

So what should happen to this area on the edge of the town centre? Is the future, a new shopping area with possibly a much wanted cinema and some housing or is an upgraded bus station more needed? Can the 2 be put together.
What is needed is some vision. I hope that new landowners, Babergh and the County will urgently talk to each other and consult with the public on what they think.
We had a good possibility shown by the Civic Trust study. Whatever this area is vital to Sudbury's future as a Market Town. It has to be got right.

Lib Dems and Vince Cable got the economy right

I'm always shocked that the Lib Dems never get the economic credit they deserve.
Firstly, it was Lib Dem policy for Bank of England to be independent which Gordon Brown immediately stole in 1997 eventhough it wasn't in their manifesto. An important part of low inflation. But to the present day.
Vince Cable Lib Dem Shadow Chancellor has been warning for years about a personal debt crisis and irresponsible lending. Every time, the Brown would ignore. Then Northern Rock went wrong, Vince Cable suggests nationalisation, Brown dithers, the Tories can't accept it, nothing is done till much later and the situation is worse.
It is the Lib Dems that warned about regulation failure of the financial sector but the Tories wanted less and Labour were on watch, overseeing it all.
It is the Lib Dems that call for house prices to be in the measure of inflation to stop such spirals. It is the Lib Dems that call for repossessions to be a last resort, for Councils and RSL's to be allowed to purchase new empty stock for affordable homes.
The Lib Dems call for a 4p tax cut for for the low paid and middle earners months ago now Labour think a financial stimulus is needed so tax cuts are predicted. It is the Lib Dems that call for a funded tax cut by increasing taxes on the highest earners to pay for the tax cuts to the lower paid for it is they who need it most.

People need to remember Brown and Labour presided over the UK economy ignoring warnings, failing on who was overseeing the Banks and delaying on solutions which made it worse.
Tory and Labour lead to boom and bust.

Sudbury's Belle Vue House.

West Suffolk college have applied to turn the video store on Cornard Road into a new education facility hopefully linked to the new Suffolk University in Ipswich. If this means an access point to more further and higher education in South Suffolk, then brilliant!
Some may think what does that do to Belle Vue House, I think they would have moved anyway as Belle Vue House is not very disabled access friendly or potentially suitable for a modern ICT based education facility. There is a serious question about what Sudbury wants Belle Vue House to be used for? if the Citizens Advice Bureau also want new facilities and leave?

Belle Vue park update

The land swap is off between Babergh District Council and McCarthy & Stone as they have sold the site by the bus station to a local company. This means that Belle Vue House cannot be sold, demolished or redeveloped unless the issue returns to the Strategy committee at the Council.

The site by the bus station could potentially give Sudbury new shops, cinema or other community facilities in the future. If this site had been lost to a McCarthy & Stone retirement flats development any new retail would have had to go to the edge of town in competition with the town centre. So lets hope the new purchaser has good ideas for the area which is vital to our town's economic vitality in the future.

As for the BMX site, apparently talks are still ongoing but I hear that Suffolk Highways may not want the second entrance onto Cornard Rd. This road would take some of the Park by the toilets(see previous post) and would really change the nature of the Park.

Post office threat averted?

This Labour government had embarked on an attempt to get a private contractor to run the Card Account that delivers benefits and pensions. This is delivered at present by the Post Office. The threat of losing this contract to Paypoint or a major bank threatened another 3,000 post office closures. It was only a short time ago we lost 2,500 post offices and for every 1 saved another was closed.
Mant post offices support also a village shop. They rely on people coming to collect a benefit or pension and then spending money there. The social function is enormous and can be vital for a village's sustainability in planning terms. The Labour government see a several million £ loss per week as need for further privatisation. Mrs Thatcher would have been proud of New Labour in many ways. Often there is a need for innovation but some services are basic and part of the fabric of village life. Many elderly people suffer from isolation in rural areas and therefore the social function and contact is hard to value.
Thank goodness a change of mind has ocurred yesterday. The excuse the credit crunch, reality is probably not wanting more bad press and a successful lobby to halt this privatisation too far.

Poll: How should the area around the bus staion be developed?

Here is my first attempt at a Poll. Hope people will have a go. See the right side of the page to complete it.

Fight fuel poverty and climate change

Energy is expensive with many single elderly people (est 80%) struggling with fuel poverty. The window for fighting climate change is small. The 2 are linked. There is an urgent need for Councils and Social landlords to improve their energy efficiency whether it is insulation, boilers or new design. Government needs to help homeowners who cannot afford these works. It will help employment, it will aid the environment, it will reduce poverty. yet inertia reigns, there is no urgency.
Energy companies charge a higher rate for the first fuel you use yet it is the most essential. Why? Surely this should be the lowest rate? Low users are penalised eg your single elderly resident. It actually suggests use more and pay less.