The 'link' to a good press

This week we had our local (only) Rushmere Tory making the front page of the local paper, claiming that the Labour run council had no planned 'vision' for the town.

Now Judy Terry and the local Tories know something about vision -the party that sold the old Civic Centre site to one developer and then not long after give planning permission to a rival development (Tesco) on a site at Grafton Way.

No wonder the first developer took the Council to court. Since then Tesco have down sized and it is possible that may never develop the Grafton Way site. But their achievement in gaining planning permission for Grafton Way did stop the development on Civic Drive.

Cllr Judy Terry has had a number of 'visions' in the past - an art gallery to be built near Christchurch Mansion and more recently her 'vision' for Rushmere involved knocking down the pre-fabs on Inverness Road and building a care home!

But more interestingly to me is how did Judy Terry make the front page of the local paper with her accusations of 'no vision'?

It seems simple, mention the 'link'. For the last 20 to 30 years we have constantly heard plans to build on the car parks behind the old Co-op building or as it is known by developers (if not residents) the 'Mint' quarter. But NCP own the car parks and seem in no hurry to do anything as they rake in some of the highest car park tariffs in the town. But the Mint Quarter has had it's day it is all now about the 'link'.

You may ask where is the 'link' - well it's a development to be built on the site of the local papers office in Lower Brook Street. the aim of the development would be to link the town centre and the waterfront. The paper have realised that there is little chance of them selling the 'link' project until the empty sites on the Waterfront are sorted out.

So it seems any chance they now get the Evening Star (and EADT) urges our MP and local council to work together to sort out the waterfront, I am sure it is because it will help Ipswich in the long term but of course it will also help Archant sell their own site to be the new 'link' development.

So we have had Cameron visit the Archant office to look at the plans, Gummer push the Irish banks over the 'winerack' site and now Mrs Terry gets the front page (and did her mentioning the 'link' help?) Will leave it to you to decide!

Just waiting for Mick McCarthy to say he could attract better players to Ipswich Town if the 'link' development went ahead!

My week ahead 5 - 11 September 2011

Monday 5 September 6pm - Campaigning in North West Ipswich

Thursday 8 September 7pm - North East Ipswich forum, St Alban's School (Digby Road)

Last week saw my first presentation the the Council Executive as I briefed councillors on the plans for sharing the Gainsborough Sports Centre site with the new Ipswich Academy.

On Thursday I joined councillors from the Scrutiny committee as we had an informative tour of the Ipswich waterfront, finishing off at UCS.




Saturday was 'Love our NHS' day, I joined other Labour colleagues and Union members, there was no problem getting the public so sign our petition, very hard to find anyone who thinks the NHS is now a better service since the Tories took control of the country.

My week ahead 29 August - 3 September 2011

Tuesday 30 August 6pm - Ipswich Council Executive. Grafton House

Thursday 1 September 4.30pm - Scrutiny Committee, Tour of the Ipswich Waterfront

Saturday 3 September 10.30am - Campaigning in North West Ipswich

This week started with a Labour Group meeting on Monday. Tuesday should have been the highlight of the week, but the 5 mile cycle ride that was part of the media launch for the Tour of Britain was cancelled!! - A severe weather warning put pay to my opportunity to pretend I was Bradley Wiggins or Mark Cavendish!



Bradley Wiggins - not Cllr Ross!

Wednesday I attended a morning meeting at Gainsborough Sports Centre, looking at the plans for the new Ipswich Academy, who will becoming our close neighbours quite soon.

Saturday, saw yet again a large number of Labour activists out in East Ipswich, informing residents of the Suffolk County Council plan to switch lights off at midnight.

Today (Sunday) I got my chance to follow in the cycle tracks of Wiggins, I joined 10 Ipswich residents on the Sky/British cycling local ride. we left Northgate School, dodged the showers and visited a number of villages to the east of the town. But where did they get those hills from!

Boats, beer and plenty more!

Ipswich Maritime Festival -




Just back from a family trip to the Ipswich Maritime festival, a really fantastic Sunday treat. I had made a pre festival visit to the Ipswich Beer Festival which this year had moved to the waterfront. Hundred turned up Thursday night to taste the many ales but we found ourselves under water! Not great for the first night in a new location but the blitz spirit seemed to work (with the help of a few strong bitters) and the main tent seemed packed all night.



Ipswich Beer Festival - in the rain!

Saturday had seen a couple of late showers but from those who went it seemed the whole day had been a success, with a great finale for the day with the firework display.



Ipswich Beer Festival - in the sun!

Sunday also started off sunny and though it clouded over slightly in the afternoon, it remained dry. We started and finished the day at the beer festival, and from the amount of empty barrels, the new location seems to have been a success. But it was not just beer on offer! There were plenty of food stall, historical displays from Georgian England to WW2, with the Spitfire plane being like a magnet to many young lads (and their fathers).




The atmosphere was very continental, drink, food, sun and people enjoying themselves. The large whale seemed very popular, but I did wonder what was going on onside ot as 20 children and mothers appeared from withing it's grey skin! Not many fathers seemed keen on joining in.

Complaints? Seems petty to mention anything after the hard work by our own IBC Officers, Ipswich Central and the various other organisations involved in getting the festival going. But there are always places where improvements can be made and I would like to see maybe more boats for people to visit and clamber aboard, the Orwell lady was doing a great trade as was the Thames sailing barge but maybe we could get the Royal (or Dutch/Belgian) Navy to visit with a mine sweeper on the same weekend.

But lets not take anything away from a well organised, well attended fun event.

I look forward to being involved in the wash up afterwards and lets hope this now becomes a regular Ipswich event.

Visit the Maritime festival website here, and leave your own comments.

Ipswich housing bubbly finally bursts

The Tory plans for Ipswich of building only flats seem to have come unstuck- maybe now they will agree to build affordable family homes.

The market on the Ipswich Waterfront this Sunday was great, but it was depressing to see the skeleton of yet another block of flats, rising above the market stalls.

Thanks to my Labour colleagues for the picture