NEWS; The Suffolk New College ; PICTURE ANDY ABBOTT 18.1.10
Anger over road closure on the east side of town
By PAUL GEATER, Local Government Correspondent
Friday, July 30, 2010
12:02 PM
IPSWICH: Angry residents claim they were not properly consulted about yet another road closure on the east side of town.
As frustration mounts among drivers using the Duke Street roundabout, anger is building over the decision to close Rope Walk to traffic in front of Suffolk New College. This decision was made after the temporary orders put in place during the building work there were made permanent.
And a further section of the road, in front of St Edmund House, is to become a one-way street.
Local residents claim they were not consulted – or their views were ignored – before the closure was made permanent by both the borough and county councils.
Vanessa Andrews, who lives in Grange Road near Rope Walk, said she and her neighbours heard about an exhibition showing the plans only two days before it took place last year.
A meeting was held more recently, but only businesses backing on to Rope Walk and residents of Grimwade Street were invited.
She said: “No one seemed interested in what we had to say – and there were a lot of people who didn’t want the road closed.
“It seems as if the residents of this part of Ipswich are always being ignored and having their lives made more difficult – it will be much more difficult getting in and out of Grange Road once the Duke Street lights are installed and Back Hamlet becomes one-way.”
Borough transport spokeswoman Tanya De Hoedt said the closure of Rope Walk near Suffolk New College had been promoted by the county council, but was a joint project between the authorities.
She said: “We are aware that the proposal was not agreed by everyone who would be affected, but we are satisfied that everyone was consulted.
“The county council is trying to encourage green travel and it was felt that it was not a good idea to have cars so near to the entrance of Suffolk New College.”
n Will closing Rope Walk to traffic near Suffolk New College be good for the town? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or you can send an e-mail to eveningstarletters@ eveningstar.co.uk
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6 comments
can i say its the people who put the collage in the wrong place why did they move it over the river front why not keep it on the site of the collage or move the collage on the out side of the town center would of been better
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chris betts
Friday, July 30, 2010
and all this extra money is due to councils mistake,s, of putting uni there, stupid, then not putting a bridge or tunnel for students. they get paid £6 fiqures plus for these mistakes.
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richard procter
Friday, July 30, 2010
They are certainly pushing cars away from town, as they are pushing people to move out of town. It will change again in two years when they decide to dig up the one way system or the roads in the cetre and change the direction. About time these people had to answer how they are spending OUR money.
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Neil (Suffolk)
Friday, July 30, 2010
IBC have their heads in the sand once again. Why do they insist on trying to force people to leave their cars at home? Don't they realise that not everyone can walk or use public transport. Do they honestly still believe that all the tenants in the flats on the waterfront will not have cars as they are so close to town? Get real IBC - flats with 3 or 4 sharing sometimes have 3 or 4 cars fighting for the one parking space allocated. I for one am glad that I no longer live on this side of town and don't have to negotiate the Duke Street roundabout any more - must be a nightmare.
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Lynda Bennett
Friday, July 30, 2010
What do you expect, this is Ipswich Borough Council we're talking about here, you didn't actually expect them to think about something before they did it did you, that would involve intelligent thinking!
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Fat Lady Sings
Friday, July 30, 2010
Its rediculously bad planning to arrange all this to take place as the football season kicks off in the first place
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John Smith
Friday, July 30, 2010