I would have liked it to have waited until after the Port Liaison Committee next week and to have been a bit stronger on the fact that we haven’t judged the silencer over the summer, but it seems fair enough on the noise.

I would say that the dust is a bigger issue than they think, its’ definitely been something that people are still talking about around Bridge. Louise Gooch, who was the Liberal Democrat candidate for Bridge at the County Council election, so it is rather ironic that she can’t see the issue that’s clearly developing here. It may be no bigger than a man’s hand at the moment, but these things quickly develop.

People are being kept up by the containers on the West Bank now, and I hope to have more on this later. But it is good to see that the Port issues are not as all encompassing as they were just six months ago. Perhaps Labour can stop taking credit for the work of the Noise Action Group now.

Edit: I forgot to thank Ipswich Spy. Bad manners.

Well if the Tories do win the General Election you will hear about him a lot more.  He’s the shadow environment spokesman for the Conservatives, so it’s a good chance he’ll become a minister if the Tories get in.

When I heard that he was coming down to help Ben Gummer I lobbied the Ipswich Tories to get him down to the docks to get him to talk to some people from the Noise Action Group and the Wherstead Road Residents’ Association about the way in which the port was operating.

The Noise Action Group then got the chance to tell the man who could be the next Environment Minister about how the port can be dismissive of its neighbours, and that engaging people who want a working port that’s a good neighbour will be better than in three years time trying to engage people who don’t want a working port as any sort of neighbour.

Hopefully ABP will at some point see sense and engage with those who wish it well.

Nick Herbert also became a fan of the Steamboat Tavern, which is as it should be.

A photo of Ben Gummer in this blog that he won't object to. Ben Gummer takes Nick Herbert to the Steamboat Tavern to meet the Noise Action Group and the Wherstead Road Residents Association

*I actually had heard of Nick Herbert, but I’m a political anorak on the sly.

We hope to give a more full account of the port focus group in the near future. We have managed to get Peter Evans, one of the founders of the Noise Action group, appointed to the Port Liaison group. Southern Cement have also fitted a silencer on their unloading machinery. While welcoming this we want to see if the recent quiet spell is due to the silencer or the fact that winter seems to have dampened the noise.

To get on to the Noise Action Group newsletter simply email noise@bridgeward.org.uk

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.