Entries from September 2009 ↓

The problem with the database state is that it criminalises ordinary and harmless people while the louts go free.  Whether it’s policewomen not allowed to look after each other’s children or headmasters being sacked for out of date fishing licences the criminalising of the harmless seems to be the abiding failure of law enforcement today.  The ID card will of course take this further.

Anti-social behaviour is a real and very nasty stain on people’s lives.  Even down to firebugs burning grass on Wherstead Road or raucous all night parties on Rectory Road, this is when the streets start to get out of control.  No ID card will sort that out if all the kids get is a kiss, cuddle and caution.  Crime and anti-social behaviour is caused by a small minority of people, and the system should be focussing on that minority, not the vast majority who may overfill their dustbin after Christmas.

Luckily there is a group in Ipswich that wants to do something about ID cards.  They should be in the town centre next week.

Sadly cement importers to think that pollution is a positive way of engaging the community, but marine pollution has been  dealt with in another part of Suffolk, with oil tankers to be banned from oil transfers.  There’s three lessons to be learnt from this:

• A hard working and sympathetic local MP like John Gummer can get results
• The Transport ministry team, of which Chris Mole is a part, can stop shipping pollution – perhaps Chris Mole should remember this in his part time job as MP for Ipswich
• Regulatory agencies only have two modes – allow and ban.  There are far, far worse things for unpopular companies than getting a voluntary arrangement with residents.

Until now I have never properly understood what they mean by the term “groundswell”, but this is what is happening with the port noise.  I’ve spoken to politicians of all sides and they are shocked at the anger that this issue is raising.  Relying on lawyers to terrify Ipswich council will not help with that anger, and that anger is rising.

The only thing that will cut down the anger is engaging with the community.  The longer Southern Cement thumb their nose at their neighbours the harder the council will find it to help them.

We’ve had some good news with the leafleting for the Noise Action leaflets.

We’ve had leafleting done the Maidenhall Estate, Wherstead Road, Belstead Road, Chatsworth Crescent, Rectory Road, the Old Stoke area, Phillip and Martin streets, the Hayes and Belstead Avenue. Special thanks to the Maidenhall Residents Association.

We will still need more leafleting because there are hundreds of people who are still not aware of why their sleep is being disturbed. One leafletter, who’s leafleted a number of roads around Phillip road said “ps, a lady I spoke to in Martin Road (luther road end) has been disturbed by the noise and was very interested in the leaflet.” How many others are out there?

By awakening people like this woman, leaflets will turn this from a local irritant to a major issue for the council.

If you can help please let me know. If you have friends or relatives who are disturbed by the noise then please let them know about the leafleting (or forward this email) and see if they can help.

I’ve got another Tory leaflet hitting the streets, and I checked through it more than twice – making a number of changes.  I finally signed it off and got it approved to go to the printers.

So I copy some of this on to my blog.  Then to my horror I saw a misspelling.  And not just any misspelling, but a misspelling of Wherstead Road – the largest road in the ward.  And not just in the text but in a big headlines, and in capitals.

Luckily a piece of impromptu town planning (or I should say another attempt) was avoided when it turns out that the editor of the leaflet had taken a short break.

For my next trick I’ll misspell Ipswich or Suffolk on the front page.

Apparently the BBC Look East programme today predicted that although Labour were in trouble in East Anglia, Chris Mole would hold on in Ipswich due to his “personal vote”.

Now I don’t doubt that the Labour machine in “fortress Ipswich” could withhold a national swing, they are well organised and active (and well looked after, if we’re honest).   However Chris Mole’s personal vote is negative.

On the doorstep, no matter where you are in Ipswich, Chris Mole is heartily disliked.  Sometimes I even defend him saying that people are being unrealistic about what an MP can do.  Some voters may be taking it a bit far, it’s true, but they are essentially right in that Mole’s no Jamie Cann and is certainly putting his career ahead of his constituents.

I don’t personally dislike him, but it must be obvious to the most loyal of Labour canvassers that they’re carrying him and he’s certainly no asset to them.

I was rather angry at the environment portfolio holder Louise Gooch’s comments that the Noise Action Group wanted to shut down Southern Cement.  We’ve always been quite clear that this is not what we wanted. I emailed her to let her know that I was angry.

And a miracle occurred.

A politician changed their mind.  The presentation put on by the Noise Action Group convinced her that we wanted to be good neighbours (a phrase we keep on using).  It does seem that the councillors really, really resent Southern Cement for putting them in the position that they are in.

Other news, the Evening Star have put out a piece on the internet about the Council executive meeting, here.

This is from the Conservative leaflet:

After years of waiting, ASDA finally opened their Stoke Park store on August Bank Holiday Monday. The store will be a huge boost to the area bringing in local jobs but we will be watching to make sure that ASDA are sensitive to being in the middle of a residential area.

We have already been reassured that the bright ASDA signs will be controlled and be switched off when the store is closed. It is also good to hear that trolleys cannot be taken off site as their wheels will lock if pushed over the perimeter of the site. Finally, the pathway linking the site and Lanercost Way is back in use. The store is open 24 hours, with deliveries being from 0700 at the earliest.

The Public meeting will now be at the IP-City centre at the top of Wherstead Road.

The promised public meeting has at last been announced. I reproduce the text from the email sent to Councillors by the environmental services officer:

“A public meeting of the SW Area Forum has been arranged to discuss resident’s concerns about noise and dust from port activities. The arrangements are as follows

Date: Tuesday 6 October

Time: 6.00pm – 8.00pm

Venue: Chantry High School, Mallard Way, Ipswich

The meeting will discuss concerns over noise from Southern Cement’s operations, and dust from the port in general. (Please be aware that we have had a number of complaints over the last few days concerning dust from a scrap metal operation at Dunn and sons. This is currently being investigated by the Environment Agency).

All those on the SW Area Forum’s distribution list, residents who have complained to the council about noise or dust, the Wherstead Road  Residents Association and the Noise Action Group will be notified shortly with details of the meeting and the Agenda. I would be grateful if members would indicate whether they would like flyers for distribution.

The Council Executive today considered the application for the Southern Cement expansion.  They were told in no uncertain terms by the Council officers that they could do … nothing.  There will be a fuller report in the Evening Star tomorrow, and I can’t do shorthand.  Some highpoints:

• Des Pawson put across the case very well, showing damning evidence that dangerous cement dust was being passed through Ipswich already
• Paul West, who hears the noise along with his constituents, and Philip Smart, whose constituents hear the noise, talked for their constituents who are becoming increasingly aware of what is ruining their sleep
• Councillors were very angry with the arrogance and dismissive attitude of Southern Cement and Uniland, and it’s quite clear that if they can do anything to scupper Southern Cement, they will.
• The decision will be made after the public meeting
• The council officers are quite clear that there will be an increase in the number of times that residents will be kept up if they are allowed to expand
• At the end the council leader Liz Harsant said that she was suffering from the noise – something she had kept quiet from everyone