John Norman

Ipswich: Who should have the rights to the road around new northern fringe development – town or county?

By Paul Geater Friday, March 1, 2013
2:40 PM

As the row over traffic measures for the proposed northern fringe rumbles on, the town’s civic society has warned two local authorities have dramatically different visions of the way forward.

While the county council wants to introduce traffic controls which would effectively prevent residents of the northern fringe from joining the already-crowded roads into the town centre at rush hour, the borough prefers the concept of a “free for all” which would allow all vehicles on the roads.

Ipswich Society chairman John Norman, pictured, said it was difficult to see how the two views could be reconciled.

He said: “It is not true to say there are no solutions. The thing is the two councils have very different solutions to the problem!

“I can’t see how they can agree on this – and listening to the arguments (at the county council cabinet) it seems that each side is now taking a political standpoint.”

Allowing a free-for-all would allow residents of the new development, in the borough itself, to use the existing roads which would cause problems for drivers heading to Ipswich from towns and villages in north Suffolk.

Preventing drivers from the new development from joining the existing roads during busy periods would be good for travellers from outside the town – but would be resisted by those living on the northern fringe.

However county council cabinet member for planning and transport Guy McGregor emphasised again that residents of the new development must be prepared to leave their cars in the garage.

He said: “We have to change the mindset of people in this country – particularly those who live in towns like Ipswich – and show them that the best option is to use public transport or other means of getting around.

“On the continent the number of cars is as high as it is here – but people use them far less. They are happy to use the bus or to cycle, or whatever for short commuting journeys – and save the car for the trips they have to make in it.”

n Do we use cars too much? Write to Your Letters, Ipswich Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or email starletters@archant.co.uk

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7 comments

Now that the IBC offices faces the SCC offices it's just like the "Hilly's and the Billy's Apologies to younger readers

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m01

Friday, March 1, 2013
WHY DON'T THESE THICK COUNCILLORS GET IT INTO THEIR HEADS ( THE CAR IS HERE TO STAY ) WE NEED BETTER ROADS IN IPSWICH ,,ROADS THAT DON'T HAVE TRAFFIC LIGHTS EVERY TEN YARDS APART

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MIGUEL100

Friday, March 1, 2013
Perhaps all County Councillors and employees should be required to only use public transport when travelling from home to office AT ALL TIMES. Of course they would provide themselves with free buses, as they do now around the town centre, and then we could see if they manage to decide on the need for a Northern bypass.

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amsterdam81

Friday, March 1, 2013
Isn't it strange how all Councilors are on a different planet to everybody else. People have a right to use their cars and most expect delays. SCC have always been anti Ipswich. What's it to do with councilors in Brandon and other places what goes on in Ipswich. Why can't we have our COUNTY BOROUGH status back.

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m01

Friday, March 1, 2013
Once again being told to use public transport as they do in Europe, 1 euro will give you bus and train journeys in spain,for two people to jump on a bus in ipswich to town centre £ 7.20p , we cannot afford public transport

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this is what we pay tax for

Friday, March 1, 2013
Yet again the agenda of Suffolk County Council is exposed for what it is Anti Ipswich Residents. Their aim as stated to me by the designer of "Fit for the 21st Century " at the Tower Ramparts consultation is to stop all Ipswich residents from using their cars and make them walk, cycle or bus. So that people who live in delightful market towns and villages can drive in and use 3 times as much petrol as I do traveling 3 times as far, whilst polluting where I live, driving past me taking minutes to do a journey it will take me an hour on the bus to do. The agenda is clear when they closed Chevalier St and cause chaos at the same time as doing Civic Dive, Bramford Rd, etc etc. As for us living in North West Ipswich. Believe me Norwich Rd was queued back to before the double roundabouts for the last week every day from 8:15 to 9:20, going out of Ipswich on Norwich Rd was just as bad. A journey of 10mins took 35mins last night. We have the same problems as everybody else, the fear being nothing will be done and another 12,000 cars try to use that quarter of town. If you build on a greenfield site on the Northern Fringe then a Northern Bypass has to be built. Why you can t build on the brownfield sites on the old Sugar Beet Factory sites next to the A14 is beyond me. Oh I forgot that's in Babergh and they want to build all their factories in Ipswich so that Hadleigh etc don't have to have nasty polluting factories near them ! What I want to know is what are the Ipswich County Councillors doing to protect their constituents ,Yet again the agenda of Suffolk County Council is exposed for what it is Anti Ipswich Residents. Their aim as stated to me by the designer of "Fit for the 21st Century " at the Tower Ramparts consultation is to stop all Ipswich residents from using their cars and make them walk, cycle or bus. So that people who live in delightful market towns and villages can drive in and use 3 times as much petrol as I do traveling 3 times as far, whilst polluting where I live, driving past me taking minutes to do a journey it will take me an hour on the bus to do. The agenda is clear when they closed Chevalier St and cause chaos at the same time as doing Civic Dive, Bramford Rd, etc etc. As for us living in North West Ipswich. Believe me Norwich Rd was queued back to before the double roundabouts for the last week every day from 8:15 to 9:20, going out of Ipswich on Norwich Rd was just as bad. A journey of 10mins took 35mins last night. We have the same problems as everybody else, the fear being nothing will be done and another 12,000 cars try to use that quarter of town. If you build on a greenfield site on the Northern Fringe then a Northern Bypass has to be built. Why you can t build on the brownfield sites on the old Sugar Beet Factory sites next to the A14 is beyond me. Oh I forgot that's in Babergh and they want to build all their factories in Ipswich so that Hadleigh etc don't have to have nasty polluting factories near them ! What I want to know is what are the Ipswich County Councillors doing to protect their constituents ? Very little from what I can see.

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The Ginge

Friday, March 1, 2013
I know people who live in North Suffolk and say it is great driving into Ipswich because they have no problems even in rush hour. I use most major routes in Ipswich and find Colchester Road and Valley Road the least congested. It strikes me that people in North Ipswich just want to keep it that way for themselves. Perhaps they should try using some of the other routes around the town. As for Mr McGregor, here is another arrogant politician trying to impose his views on everyone else. Ipswich is part of a rural community, all of us do not have a good, or indeed any, public transport system therefore we need to use a car to conduct our daily lives. As soon as Mr McGregor, SCC and IBC accept this the better we will be, the problem is that they are just following a political line based on being voted in by a small part of the community which means they ignore the rest of us.

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Star Watch

Friday, March 1, 2013