Myself outside the prefabs in Inverness Road with local campaigner, Sandra Gage.
At the North East Ipswich Area Committee this week, a number of residents from the prefabs in Rushmere Ward attended, many to inform Tory Cllr, Judy Terry that they were not happy with her comments about their homes. Certain Ipswich Tories have since accused me of delivering a leaflet to the area of Inverness Road to invite residents to the committee meeting. Below is a copy of the leaflet and you can see there is no mention of the Area Committee - another Tory statement made without any evidence to back it up!
Dear Residents,
The highly-publicised call by Tory Councillor Judy Terry for the prefabs to be demolished, calling them ‘not fit for purpose’ has caused unnecessary alarm and anxiety among residents.
We want you to know that there is no cause for concern.
We agree with the statement made by Councillor John Mowles, the borough council’s Housing spokesman, on learning of Cllr Terry’s outburst:
“The prefabs are some of the council’s most challenging properties to maintain and as a responsible landlord we are constantly reviewing how best to keep them up to modern standards.
However, we know that the vast majority of our tenants living in these houses love them. Whatever we do in future will be done with their best interests in mind and in full consultation with them.
It is deeply irresponsible of Councillor Terry to start waving her ill-thought out plans around in public without any thought about the effect it would have on residents. It has caused a lot of distress for many elderly and vulnerable residents.”
What Cllr Terry got wrong:
• Her condemnation of the prefabs was made at a meeting of Suffolk County Council, who have no responsibility for housing
• She said the homes were unfit and even got her Tory colleague, Colin Noble, the county council’s Health and Adult Care cabinet member, to say that Ipswich Borough Council ‘should be ashamed to have these prefabs in their stock’
• She has obtained from architects a plan for redevelopment of the site
• Her insults have smeared the community and worried elderly residents.
What we say:
• The prefabs are fit for purpose
• They are very popular with residents
• Cllr Terry should know that when she comes out with her unconsidered thoughts about these houses she is talking about your homes.
1 comment:
Hi Alasdair. Did you see this quote from one of Cllr Terry's former colleagues (and ex-Executive Member for Housing on Ipswich Borough Council, Steven Wells? They're fighting like rats in a sack!
"Some good candidates in there. Just such a shame that one of them betrays their own words for just to suit herself and for political expediency.
The one things voters hate Ms Terry is when you say one thing in your manifesto, then argue against it, then when it comes to being elected again start to sing the same tune you did previously. It sums up everything that is wrong with modern politics and you are the perfect example of that!
Try to wriggle out of why your manifesto said effectively in 2006 ‘no to the Northern Fringe’ then you vote for the LDF which condemns it whilst viciously criticising the 6 Whitton and CastleHill Conservative Councillors who refused to cave in, only then to recently be spouting about protecting the Northern Fringe, Agricultural land and that there is no need to build on it.
Summary: If the voters see you for what you have really done – Political doom and Hypocrisy!"
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