One of the groups in Bridge Ward that I’ve never covered, and it is remiss of me, is the Ipswich and Suffolk Credit Union, which is based in 63 Austin Street, and also has an information point in the Maidenhall Residents Association shop every Friday between 10 and 12 in the morning.

This group does a great amount of work helping people deal with the fluctuations with money without going to a doorstep lender. It operates throughout Suffolk, so it can be said that it is the largest financial institution with its headquarters in Bridge.

Sorry for the short notice.  I got this through from Ipswich Buses:

Alan Pilbeam, MD of First is doing a presentation to the Ipswich Transport Society tonight at Bridge Ward Social Club in Austin St, at 1930. Public can attend for an entrance fee of £2.50
 
I will be there (although I’m coming from London so this will be at the mercy of the trains).  There should also be a couple of people from Wherstead Road who want to talk about the curtailing of Route 66.  If you’re coming then please email me at james@bridgeward.org.uk or find me at the meeting.

Churchill insurance – which is a decent sized Ipswich employer – is going to be forcibly sold by RBS on the orders of the European Commission.  Hopefully no one in Ipswich will lose their job as a result of this.

The problem is not the breakup as such – it’s just that it is made by a foreign official with no democratic accountability.  The EU is having a greater effect on the lives of the people in Bridge. 

Here’s some of the ways in which EU rules have made life less pleasant in Bridge:

- Competition laws stop bus operators picking up the phone to talk to each other to get Wherstead Road covered by a regular service
- The Post Office in Austin Street had to be shut down in order after an EU mandated programme to liberalise delivery services made this Post Office marginal
- The stupid, stupid, stupid seperation of train and track with the consequent lack of accountability for track problems which does so much to make train journeys long and was done in order to comply with a daft EU directive to open up train services to – well it’s never quite clear
- Open tendering rules which mean that the London Olympics could only look at price and could not look into environmental effects when awarding the cement importing contract to Southern Cement
- The Eastern European influx which even the Conservatives are not intending to control which has driven up rents and driven down wages across a whole swathe of Bridge

Some people claim that membership of the EU has given Britain “incalculable benefits”, which could simply mean don’t bother to tot up the costs and benefits.  Some say that the only problem with Europe is that there’s a “democratic deficit” which is true as there’s no bloody demos and never will be.

This is not a rant to say that we should not learn from how some European countries do things, that would be stupid.  It’s just a reminder that ratifying the Constitution of Europe, now renamed the Lisbon Treaty, will mean more decisions taken by people who don’t understand us and whom we have no mecahnism to recall. 

Just the sort of thing an absentee Labour councillor accustomed to a safe seat would love.

Neil Shadbolt has put in a report on what’s happened to the local food shops since the new ASDA has opened.  If anyone else wants to write a guest post then please email me on james@bridgeward.org.uk

It is some 6-8 weeks since the Stoke Park Asda store opened at Stoke Park, so I thought it time to look at its immediate effect.

Over to Neil:

Mcolls Newsagent & Off-Licence, Stoke Park:

The newly built store which replaced a demolished petrol station a few years ago has well served the local community.

The branch has suffered to a certain extent but is still being patronized by residents despite it being a few yards from ASDA.

East of England Co-op Food Store, Prince of Wales Drive:

Situated about a half mile from the ASDA store, it has turned changed from a profit to loss making centre.

Local Sub Post Office, Maidenhall Green:

I do not know of the general effect on this small store, which mainly provides confectionay and cigarettes as well as a bit of groceries and stationery, althogh I would think it marginal.

Premier Newsagents and Food Store:

This is one of my local stores about one mile from ASDA.

It is family owned and is one of about four branches situated in Ipswich.

I have noticed a few recent gaps in the shelves of basic products such as bread, eggs and milk recently.

This does not auger well for the future of the branch.

However the real sign will be if one notices a distinct shortage of cigarettes and tobacco on the shelves, which has not been the case thus far.

East of England Co-op Foodstore: – Austin/Vernon Street:

Being just around the corner from Premier, this is my local Co-op.

This was the first Ipswich Industrial Co-operative Society Food store to open, predominantly to serve the dockers and other workers, in the lated 1800s.

The branch received a much needed facelift a few years back from which has definitely benefitted.

Although having lost an average of £1500.00 turnover per week since the new ASDA opened, it stll continues to trade profitably.

I believe it will continue to do so when you consider it is the only decent foodstore within relatively easy reach of people living up to a mile away down the Wherstead Road as far a Bourne Bridge.

Turkish Shop, Austin Street/Vernon Street:

This store opened up in what used to be a Video Hire shop a few years ago and prdoiminently services some of the local ethnic communities.

The owner was in the process of opening a Pound Shop a few doors down, but has now given this up because of declining trade in the area.

He has recently told me that the shop is only just breaking even, whereas it was profitable before ASDA opened.

Happy Shopper Local Corner Shop, Station Street/Webb Street:

This store was opened about 12 years ago in what was a derelict bakers.

It has traded reasonably successfully over the years and seems to continue to do so.

Other information will be provided when available.

Yes it was back last night.  I wandered around to hear, it was quiet (although present) at the bottom of Rectory Road and I couldn’t hear it at all in Stoke Street.  However when I walked into Austin Street it was quite intrusive.  The same was the case at the top Wherstead Road (up to Purplett Street) and also down Tyler Street.  Vernon Street had it, but it was largely drowned out by the road traffic (it must get worse after abot 11) and it was clear and strong down Felaw Maltings, Great Whip Street and New Cut West.

The Noise Action Group would like to run a walkabout of the area the next time the cement ship comes, so please let me know if you would like to help.