Labour- the only party in Ipswich that can save our libraries

Labour councillors on Ipswich Borough Council have published proposals which could save every threatened library and school crossing patrol in Ipswich.

In an amendment to the council's budget, Labour are proposing to stop the introduction of “locality” budgets which would see all councillors given £5,000 “spending money” – at a total cost of £240,000.

Instead, Labour is proposing that the money is spent on:

1. Staffing costs of the 15 currently active lollipop patrols in Ipswich
2. The “direct” costs (staffing and supplies) for the threatened Ipswich branch libraries
3. Minimising future cuts and council tax rises

Labour's amendment will enable Suffolk County Council to significantly reduce the running cost of these services while keeping them professionally staffed. It will save the council redundancy costs and avoid adding to local unemployment numbers.

Labour's proposals can be implemented while maintaining the level of council tax proposed by the council.

Councillors will vote on these proposals at a meeting on Wednesday 23rd February.

Labour Leader David Ellesmere, pictured outside Rosehill Library with Ipswich Lollipop Lady, Sally Hawkes, said: “We can’t promise to save everything that the Government is cutting, but this shows Labour is standing up for Ipswich. Our proposals will protect jobs, protect our children's safety and protect our local libraries.”

Sidegate School Crossing Patrol- possible good news.

Some of you may have read in the local paper this weekend that Sidegate Primary School in Ipswich may be in line to have our School Crossing Patrol re-instated within the next two months. A local firm has come forward to offer sponsorship which will enable the County Council to lift their recruitment ban and recruit and train a new Road Crossing Patrol for Sidegate Lane.

It is great that a local firm has come forward but there in no doubt in my mind that the reason that our Tory Councilor has been so active in her efforts to recruit a local firm is due to the pressure put on the Tory run County Council by the efforts of the the staff and Governing body at Sidegate School and the campaign by parents, local residents , and the Ipswich Labour Party.

But this is just the start, the full details of this sponsorship deal needs to be known, and the campaign must carry on as the Tory run County Council still have plans to scrap all the other School Crossing Patrols in the county at the end of the summer term. If the County do not continue to fund the crossings, it will take more than one local firm to come forward to help fill the funding gap.

It is also good news to see that Mrs Terry now believes that a Crossing Patrol is needed in Sidegate Lane after she was quoted in the local paper before Christmas in stating that now there is no Crossing Patrol, motorists are driving more carefully. so maybe a Crossing Patrol was not needed.

Thank you again for all of you have signed our petition to get the County to re-instate the Crossing Patrol, but the campaign needs to continue till all the Crossing Patrols in Ipswich and Suffolk are safe.

p.s. Does anyone know any firms who want to sponsor Rosehill Library? If so contact the Tory run Suffolk County Council.

In shock- No Road Crossing patrols for the whole of Suffolk

There is not much I can say at the moment, first of all we still do not know all the facts but secondly I can't believe that any council- never mind what Party would attempt such an act!

Rumour has it that the Tory run Suffolk County Council is now going to get rid of all lollipop Lady/men (Road Crossing patrols) throughout Suffolk!
We lost our lollipop lady at Sidegate School in October and we warned the same thing could happen at other school's in Suffolk. But at no time did I think even the Tories would attempt such a massive cut.



Tracey Grant, Labour activist at the Sidegate Crossing - minus Lollipop lady

It is easy to blame the County Tories, rural thinking, no connection to Ipswich, busy urban roads but one of the senior Tories who has made this decision is not only a Tory Borough Councillor but Judy Terry is our Rushmere Ward Councillor! She even mentioned a comment on an observation she had heard at a meeting at Sidegate school, that 'drivers were now driving more carefully' since the lollipop lady had left, what she forgot to mention at the County Council meeting that there had also been a number of near accidents that may not have occurred if the crossing patrol had been there.

She may think as she has over 3 years left before she is up for election again that this will be forgotten, how mistaken she is.

I and my Labour colleagues will continue to campaign for the reinstatement of not only the Sidegate Crossing Patrol but the retention of all Crossing patrols throughout Suffolk.

In Rushmere I am being assisted by local Labour activist, Tracey Grant in our fight against Tory cuts.

I am sure that most Rushmere residents will support us in this fight to retain the Crossing Patrol's - children's safety should be put before financial savings.

Save our Sidegate School Road Crossing Patrol

Today, I joined parents, grandparents , residents and more importantly children outside Sidegate Primary School in Ipswich. We were there to start our campaign to tell the Tory run Suffolk County Council that they are making a mistake in not replacing our Road Crossing Patrol when our current lollipop lady stops at half term.

One of the reasons our current lady is giving up is because the road is so dangerous. Over 170 people signed our petition in just the first 15 minutes.

Tory run Suffolk County Council and 200 grand a year Andrea Hill, you have got a fight on. We will not let our children's safety be put at risk for the sake of just £2,000!