It is very dispiriting to read about the recurring vandalism in the Town and Bridge Community gardens at the Maidenhall Allotments.

This part of the article is quite important, so I’ll repeat it:

Anyone with information should call Police Community Support Officer Rebecca Hillyard at the South West Ipswich Safer Neighbourhood Team on 01473 613500.

I’ve written about the vandalism in that part of Maidenhall before and talked to the police about it.  Last year it was one of the Southwest Area Neighbourhood Team’s priorities and action was done to at least damp it down.  This year it is not, and that is directly related to the fact that not one councillor appeared at the meeting where police priorities were set this year.

That’s what comes of being seen as a safe ward.

I was at the South West Area forum yesterday. It was quite far away, in the Triangle Church in Dickens Road, but there were issues that affected Bridge being discussed there.

Sadly there were no councillors from Bridge there. No newly re-elected Jim Powell, no soon to stand for re-election Philip Smart and no double County and Borough councillor Bryony Rudkin. For shame.

The other two county councillors from the area were present and there were councillors from the other three wards in the area. There was a debate in which the policing priorities were set for the South West area of Ipswich. Not surprisingly Bridge did very poorly in this. Last year it was generally remarked upon by other councillors of both parties that Bridge was being better represented as the councillors were scared that they could lose to the Tories. It’s now been commented that as Labour thinks Bridge will be in the bag next year that the Bridge councillors are returning to their bad, self indulgent habits of quango hunting and wittering on about pet subjects. I didn’t want to believe it, but when the bread and butter of local representation is neglected like this, then what can you believe?

This is why Bridge must never revert to being a safe Labour seat.