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.