Crunch talks on traffic problems

TRANSPORT experts from across Suffolk are preparing for a summit meeting to try to thrash out traffic solutions for Ipswich, The Evening Star can reveal today.

Officials and councillors from the borough and county council are preparing for the summit which should take place soon after borough elections in May.

By then the political make-up at Civic Centre should be clearer and it should be easier for politicians to make decisions about the town.

Figures from the county council published today reveal that 70 per cent of car journeys in Suffolk start or finish in Ipswich.

There are fears that traffic could grind to a halt following more development in the town, particularly around the Waterfront.

According to county figures the most serious problems are at the Duke Street junction with Fore Street and Fore Hamlet, the Woodbridge Road East roundabouts, and the Foxhall Road/Heath Road roundabout.

There are no proposals for major new road construction programmes but the county council has put in a bid to the government for funding towards a new public transport network in the town centre.

Suffolk county council's transport spokesman Guy McGregor said the town's traffic problems were near the top of the county's agenda.

He said: “We know that unless something is done the town could face very serious congestion problems - and we have to put our heads together to try to come up with solutions.

“We can't do anything until the borough council has sorted itself out, but we will be meeting soon after the election.”

The borough is currently in the hands of a minority Conservative/Liberal Democrat administration.

Its transport spokeswoman, Inga Lockington, accepted problems needed to be addressed.

She said: “We know things cannot go on like this. We hope the meeting will come up with some ideas we can look at but the long term solutions could be very expensive and controversial.”

Weblinks: www.suffolk.gov.uk/TransportAndStreets; www.ipswich.gov.uk