My week ahead, 9 - 15 March 2015

Monday 9 March, 4pm Culture portfolio meeting, Crown Pools
6pm – Labour Group campaigning

Wednesday 11 March, Visit to local military unit

Thursday 12 March, 6pm – Culture Working Group

Friday 13 March, 7pm – St Helen’s School PTA Quiz

Saturday 14 March, 10am – Labour Campaigning – NE Ipswich

Sunday 15 March, 11am – Labour Campaigning – NW Ipswich

Two weeks ago we were informed by the Tory Police and Crime Commissioner for Suffolk that over 60 front line police posts are to go in the county and this week at the North East Area Committee we found out how it would impact on our own Safer Neighbourhood team and it is not good news.

We are losing one front line policeman and that is on top of the local inspector holding two jobs, the continuing use of secondments from the SNT to other posts. The Tory Crime Commissioner promised to keep SNT’s in the town and some could say he has fulfilled that promise but we also found out on Thursday that on paper it may seem we keeping our North East SNT but in reality operationally they have been merged with the South East SNT.

Our SNT do a great job, in particular combating anti social behaviour in the area and more importantly participating in project that want to help keep our young residents away from crime. This job has now been made much harder by Tory cuts.

So much for them being the so called Party of ‘Law and order’ – no wonder the local Tory councillors kept their eyes focused on their committee papers when the police spoke about the cuts. Embarrassed?

Last week was a great one for campaigning, but the Tories were also out in large numbers - Reputedly they spent most of their time looking for missing Ipswich Tory councillors!

My week ahead 11 - 17 June 2012

Monday 11 June 4pm - Culture Portfolio meeting, Grafton House
7.30pm - Labour Group meeting

Tuesday 12 June 4pm - Sidegate Primary School - visit to ICT staff

Wednesday 13 June 10am - Representing residents views on a planning application for Belvedere Road/Parade Road
5.30pm - North East Neighbourhood Partnership Group Meeting
7.30pm - North East Area Committee - St Augustines Church Hall
Bucklesham Road, - A Health & Well-being Presentation ‘Ageing Well’ will be held prior to the meeting at 7.00pm.

Thursday 14 June 5pm - Sidegate School, Finance Committee.

Bust week ahead with visits to Sidegate School, representing residents views at the Planning Committee and attending the third North East Area Committee. There has been much written about the area committee concept and people have attempted to compare them with the 'late' Area Forums.

I have always been very positive about the Area Committees and it may have taken longer to sort out than we had hoped, i am positive that they will be a success in the North East of the town, so if you are free on Wednesday, please come along. We are hoping to move future meetings to a more central location within the North East of the town.

My week ahead 27 June - 2 July

Monday 27 June - 6pm Full Council meeting, I will be speaking on the motion to allow members of HM Forces to use Ipswich sports and leisure facilities for free.

Tuesday 28 June - 7pm - Sidegate Primary School Full Governing Body meeting

Saturday 2 July - 10.30am Campaigning in North Ipswich
2pm Attending the Broomhill Trust fete.

Last Monday was a busy day, starting at Grafton House as we unfurled the Armed Forces Day flag, in the afternoon it was a meeting at the local Police SNT HQ at Heath Rd and then it was straight to meeting looking at the plans for the arrival of the Olympic torch in Ipswich. Finally it was the Labour Group meeting.

Tuesday I was at Sidegate Primary School where we are looking at ways to help pupils achieve as much as they can academically at the school.

I then spent two days in the west country at a funeral of a former military comrade. Saturday was campaigning day and I joined a team of Labour Party activists in Castle Hill Ward. what was noticeable was that many houses have kept their 'Save our Libraries' posters up- obviously still do not trust the Tory County Council - even with Pembroke gone, NSD dead and Ms Hill away.

The sun came out today and I was joined by my daughter at the St Peters Street Summer market, a fantastic little event that I am sure we as a council can help improve. On the way home I stopped at the 'Goals' centre at the New Suffolk College, not sure the footballers appreciated the arrival of the heatwave! 20 teams were taking part in a community football tournament organised by the North East Ipswich SNT Police team. I will be hoping to get a team up next year!