Three times easier to 'shop local' with a map

Live local, Shop local.

Many residents in Rushmere were disappointed when the planning inspector overturned Ipswich Borough Council and allowed Greene King to turn the Golden Key pub into a supermarket.
One of the reasons people did not want to see a supermarket on the Woodbridge Road site was because of the quality of local shops in the Woodbridge Rd area.

Just after planning permission was granted on appeal, a local resident Swaraj who wanted to help local traders, he came up with the idea of a local map. This was then take on by the North East Area Committee and at one of our meetings a number of young pupils from Copleston High School volunteered to get involved.

The Bally triplets came up with the winning design and that was then taken forward by local Rushmere firm, Ipswich Magazine 24, who produced the final map.
The North East Area Committee have paid for the printing of 5,000 maps and distribution of 3,000 with the remainder being held by local shops.

This was a great example of residents getting together to look after the area they live in, a big thanks to Swaraj, Ipswich 24 and Ellinor, Georgia and Stephanie Bally.

Helping local traders in East Ipswich

This evening we had a very productive meeting at the 'Taste' café on Woodbridge Road, the meeting was to see if we can help local traders, shops and businesses set up an organisation. Most of the early work had been done by Swaraj Jeyasingh and he had managed to get along a number of local traders.

The North East Ipswich area Committee is looking to help promote local traders and one idea was a local shops map. Swaraj has spoken at a recent Area Committee, pupils from Copleston then took this idea away and 3 young girls from Year 8 presented their map and plan tonight. A great slogan of 'Live local, shop local'

Now the pupils will be helped by a local Rushmere business and produce a mock up map, and then this will be presented to a future North East Ipswich Area Committee and then we hope the map can then be distributed to local residents

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Live local, shop local

Golden Key - Greene King appeal - our response

Over the last few months, the Labour councillors for Rushmere and St John’s Ward and also our Labour team in Bixley Ward have received numerous letters and emails informing us that local residents are against the planning application for development and change of use of the Golden Key pub in Woodbridge Road, Ipswich

Two planning applications submitted by Greene King have been refused by the local council, but now Greene King have appealed to the Planning Inspectorate.



Below is the letter that has been submitted by your local councillors on behalf of residents.




The Planning Inspectorate
3/09 Wing
Temple Quay House
2 The Square
Temple Quay
Bristol
BS1 6PN


Planning Appeal Reference Number: APP/R3515/A/12/2174644/NWF

Dear Sir/Madam

As Ipswich Borough Councillors for Rushmere and St John’s wards, and the Suffolk County Councillor for St John’s Division, we have received considerable communication from local residents in respect of the two recent planning applications for development and change of use at the Golden Key, the refusal of the second of which the applicants are now appealing. The representation from local residents has been overwhelmingly against the planning application. As local residents ourselves, and in support of the arguments put forward by objectors to the original applications, we would like to reply to each of the areas on which Greene King has appealed the refusal notification from Ipswich Borough Council.

Grounds of Appeal 1: Appeal proposal will not have any unacceptable impact in respect to highway safety and will not lead to substantial vehicular traffic, and is therefore not contrary to policy DM17 of the Core Strategy 2011.

• The proposed store is located with its sole access onto Woodbridge Road which has two lanes of eastbound traffic at that point and one lane of westbound traffic in the process of becoming two lanes. Drivers of vehicles passing the access point are already forced to be aware of vehicles which are changing lanes in front of them and behind them, and of vehicles which are entering and exiting the adjacent petrol station. Drivers of vehicles entering or exiting the site will need to negotiate three streams of traffic which are in the process of changing lanes.

• The access point is dangerously close to the mini-roundabout junction between Woodbridge Road (A1214), Rushmere Road which gives access to the estates in the North-East of Ipswich, and Cauldwell Hall Road, which is the main north-south route within the inner-suburban area of East Ipswich. The traffic entering the junction from Cauldwell Hall Road is not visible from the access to the site and consequently there is a very real danger of collision.

• Woodbridge Road is the main artery between Ipswich town centre and East Suffolk. It also provides important access to Ipswich town centre for the highly populated areas of Kesgrave and Martlesham. In addition to very heavy peak time flows of private cars and commercial vehicles, it also carries the greatest number of bus services in the area.

• It provides an important link between the hospital and the town centre, and is one of the most frequently used routes for ambulances.

• Zebra crossings have been installed around the tightly configured roundabout in recent years to allow easier crossing for pedestrians as a direct result of the heavy flows of traffic and concerns over safety.

• The plans for development of the site for a supermarket include improvements to the car park and an allocated area for deliveries. It is thus clear from the application that the applicant is expecting, and has planned for, greater vehicular use than the present use of the site.

• A typical visit to a supermarket will be shorter than that to a public house, which will clearly increase the number of vehicular movements. This will be particularly true for the proposed ATM.

• As a local public house, one of the chief attractions of the Golden Key is that local patrons can visit it and drink without having to drive there and thus do not need to restrict their alcohol intake. Most of the regular patrons do not drive to the Golden Key.

• Most of the vehicles which leave the Golden Key car park do so on Saturday or Sunday afternoons, or after 9pm. Vehicles exiting a convenience store are far more likely to coincide with rush hour traffic, adding to already high levels of congestion and concerns over safety.

Grounds of Appeal 2: The appeal proposal will provide a retail facility in an established and identified district centre to serve the needs of the local community.

• The needs of the local community are already well served. Local residents have a range of small supermarkets within short walking distance, including two Cooperative stores, a Spar and a number of smaller retailers. Several specialist independent retailers also exist in the parade of shops nearby, including a well used
butcher, a baker and a greengrocer.


• Local residents also benefit from frequent bus services to the major retailers in the town centre and to out-of-town superstores in Martlesham and Warren Heath.

• The overwhelming response from the local community is that they do not need this additional retail space, nor do they want it.

• Several of the smaller retail businesses have expressed their expectation that they will be forced to close if they lose further trade to a chain outlet.

Grounds of Appeal 3: This is an appropriate location for the proposal which will provide new investment, job creation and additional choice for residents in Woodbridge Road District Centre.

• This is not an appropriate location for the proposal, given the considerable concern about the increase in vehicular movements and the impact on traffic and road safety.

• A new outlet for a chain retailer in this location is likely to cause more job losses from the closure of local small businesses than it creates of itself. Small independent businesses employ almost exclusively local residents, whereas a significant proportion of the profits of a chain outlet flow out of the local community. Local residents have raised concerns with me about the negative impact of the proposed development on local businesses and loss of associated jobs within the local community.

• Local residents already have a wide range of choice from both small independent retailers and small supermarkets. Residents have highlighted their concern that by forcing the closure of other local businesses the proposal will reduce consumer choice.

Grounds of Appeal 4: The LPA’s reason for refusal is not based on any evidence or support from the Highway Authority and will effectively sterilise any future development of the site.

Residents have recently expressed concerns over traffic monitoring equipment that has been attached to road furniture on Woodbridge Road near the junction by the Golden Key public house. No notification of the survey was provided to local residents and they have expressed their concern that the data collected might be used to support an appeal by Greene King.

• During the period that the traffic monitoring was being undertaken, traffic along Woodbridge Road was very significantly reduced as a result of road works.

• The data was collected during a period of lighter seasonal traffic (in part related to school exam leave periods).

• It is uncertain whether traffic monitoring data was collected during rush hour traffic periods.

• The Borough Council’s engineers, acting as agents for the Highway Authority, have long-term experience of the dangers and difficulties inherent in the various junctions and radial routes in Ipswich. They were fundamentally opposed to this application for the reasons stated in my response to Ground 1.

• Objections on highways grounds will not “sterilise” the site but will simply limit any development to purposes which do not significantly increase the level of vehicular traffic.

As Borough and County Councillors for the area, we would like to:

• Represent the views of residents within our wards by lodging our strong objections to the plans by Greene King PLC.

• Request that any inspection of the site be made during rush hour traffic during school term time to ensure that the inspector can judge the safety impact any increase in vehicle movements into and out of this access is likely to have during this critical period.

• Be informed in advance of the inspection date and time so that we can observe the process and thus reassure residents that their concerns are being addressed.

Yours faithfully,

Alasdair Ross
Ipswich Borough Councillor, Rushmere Ward

Tracy Grant
Ipswich Borough Councillor, Rushmere Ward

Neil Macdonald
Ipswich Borough Councillor, St John’s Ward

Sandy Martin
Ipswich Borough Councillor, St John’s Ward
Suffolk County Councillor, St John’s Division

GOLDEN KEY LATEST - Greene King lodges appeal

I was informed this week that Greene King has decided to appeal to the Secretary of State against the decision of the Ipswich Borough Council to stop the Golden Key being turned into a supermarket.



The main reason given for the appeal is that “the proposal will not have any unacceptable impact in respect to highway safety and will not lead to substantial additional vehicular traffic.”

I will be sending a representation to the Planning Inspector. Please let us know if there is anything you wish me to say or, alternatively, you can write to the Inspector yourself.

Details below:

Details of the appeal



APPEAL BY: Greene King PLC

SITE: Golden Key Public House, 438 Woodbridge Road

PROPOSAL: Part demolition of existing buildings, change of use to retail unit (Class A1), installation of ATM facility, erection of extension, alterations and associated parking and servicing

APPLICATION REF: IP/12/00074/FUL

PINS REF: APP/R3515/A/12/2174644/NWF



If you wish to make your own representations, you should send 3 copies of your letter to: The Planning Inspectorate, 3/09 Wing, Temple Quay House, 2 The Square, Temple Quay, Bristol BS1 6PN by 14th June 2012, quoting the PINS REF above.



Alternatively, there is an online service that you can use to comment on this appeal: On line service here

Golden Key - planning application refused

Good news for Rushmere residents – the planning application to build a supermarket on the Golden Key site on Woodbridge Road was refused by the planning committee in Ipswich this morning.

Greene King has stated that the retailer was not Tesco and that they may still open a shop in the existing building.

I was allowed to speak for 7 minutes at the meeting, I emphasised the traffic issue and also the detrimental effect that a supermarket may have on our small independent shops.

Greene King may appeal, in my conclusion I stated that if they wished to build a shop then a joined up plan with the BP garage would be a better option as that would put less pressure on the traffic as they could share entry and access. We will see what happens next.

It was disappointing that the Tories and Lib Dems spent much of the meeting having a go at myself and the local Labour Party for delivering our leaflet about the plan for the Woodbridge Road site. I thought this was because they were for the proposal but only the Lib Dem councillor eventually voted for the plan. The Tories all abstained, (including our own Tory councillor for Rushmere – Judy Terry) so we are not really sure where the local Tories stand on this issue.

I am sure this was not be the last we will hear about this plan but at least for now we will not see a large supermarket on the site.

I must thank all those who supported our campaign; it was an honour to represent the views of Rushmere residents this morning.

Empty houses- why build flats when you have empty houses to fill?

Alasdair outside 68 Rushmere Road, Ipswich

Still on the subject of my last post- the Tories seem hell bent on putting as many flats up on brownfield sites in Ipswich- just to protect certain parts of the town where they never wish to see any building.

I have heard that there is a plan to build houses on the Bisto's site on Woodbridge Road - if so that is good news, as we feared more flats. We will keep you informed.

But why build flats when close to our Rushmere Ward we have two empty houses that would make great family homes. Not only that, whilst they lay empty they are a magnet to vandals and louts.

We have the large house on Colchester Road (next to the Shell garage) and the old sweet shop at 68 Rushmere Road. The house next to the garage was raided by the police last year as it was being used as a drugs den. No such trouble at 68 Rushmere Road but it is very unsafe and a hazard to neighbours. The back garden fence is almost falling down and it just looks an eyesore.

I have been asking Ipswich Borough Council through my Labour colleagues to deal with this building as a matter of urgency and still nothing has been done. Do not worry, I will not give up and I hope to be able to bring you good news on 68 Rushmere road in the next few months.

We campaign hard and the Tories try and take the credit!

Monday was a busy campaign day, a visit to the party office to drop off canvas sheets whilst other members were delivering a leaflet about the new Hayhills development. The evening saw us in the South West of the town, 18 of us canvasing. A good response on the door, none of the negativity that we are reading about in the national papers. We finish off over a pint at the Steamboat and then we hear the news (good).
After a determined campaign by local residents (many of them parents of Sidegate School pupils)and assisted by myself and St John's councilor Neil MacDonald we seem to have been successful in getting the much needed zebra crossing that will make it safer to cross both Rushmere Road and Woodbridge Road.
How did we find out about? That is the bad news - through a Tory leaflet- they seem to be taking the credit - no mention that the Tory Councillor for Rushmere voted against funding for the zebra crossing when it came before the council the first time. It seems strange (if not surprising) that it has been announced so close to the local election. Then again the Tory leader has admitted that she is playing politics- by that she means that they can lie in their manifesto- as if this is acceptable behaviour in election time!
I would just like to say well done to the residents of the Roundwood Road area who did not give up in their desire to get the zebra crossing- they deserve all the credit- the Tories?- all they deserve is to be defeated at the ballot box.

Zebra Crossing- Rushmere Road

Much of local politics is about getting things done for local people. For a number of months myself and the Labour councillor for St Johns ward- Neill Macdonald have been working with local residents to try and get a zebra crossing placed on two busy roads in Ipswich.
The crossings would be close to Barclay's Bank on both Rushmere Road and Woodbridge Road. A crossing like this has been promised for a number of years and it looked like it would go ahead in 2006. But due to the Tory run County Council suddenly asking for an extra £16,000 the Tory run Borough Council decided to remove the Livability Fund contribution to the crossing.
Most amazingly, two of the Tories who voted to remove this contribution are Judy Terry who represents Rushmere and John Carnall who represents St Johns.
It also seems strange that two councils, both run by the Conservatives can't seem to work together- if anything they seem determined not to agree on anything as shown again recently with the County's proposed plans for a new Fire Station.
Back to the Zebra Crossing, thanks to a residents petition and pressure from myself and Neill (with support from our local MP- Chris Mole) it has been placed on the list of planned works for 2007/08. we should get a clearer idea in April if the work is to go ahead..
What was so great about these crossings is that they would have helped so many of the community, from parents and children crossing these busy roads before and after school- the crossing is close to St Johns, Sidegate and St Marys Primary schools and is also used by pupils of Northgate, Copleston and St Albans as well as a number of playschools. It also helps keep the local shops in Woodbridge Road in use with many members of the community needing to cross these roads to get to these much used shops, including a number of our senior citizens who live in Morecombe Court on Roundwood Road.
I am determined to keep working on this campaign and hope we get the desired outcome in April.