One thing that is commonly said to the council about the port noise is that the cement hoover has sound proof casing.  Can you see it?  Me neither.

Now, I’m not saying they weren’t doing anything, but if they only talked to the residents – like just about any similar company does – then they would be able to show us what they are doing.  Instead they are leaving themselves to the mercy of telescopic lenses.

Isn’t it funny how the cement ship’s in the day after the public meeting?  I wonder if there was a deliberate delay?

We will be talking about this to the Maidenhall Residents’ Association at the Bowls Pavilion in Halifax Road at 7pm tonight.  (If you are not from Maidenhall then please remember that this will not be solely about the noise).

I know it’s becoming old news for the regular readers, but the public meeting is coming up.  We’ve been saying that the council don’t listen to us, well they are now.  If you don’t turn up they’ll say that you’re not interested.

It’s rumoured that the BBC may have more listeners than this blog has readers, so I’m going to be on Radio Suffolk tomorrow at 6.50 AM to drum up more support.

Details again:

Date: Tuesday 6 October

Time: 6.00pm – 8.00pm

Venue: IP-City Centre, Bath Street (near Wherstead Road)

A lot of Tories were canvassing on Wherstead Road and Bostock Road yesterday and got most of the expected concerns, port and traffic noise and the buses – together with a new concern of parking.

You know how serious this port noise is getting when one of the people you talk to is in the process of moving only because of the noise.

This is why you need to be at the public meeting on Tuesday 6pm at the IP-City Centre.

However the strength of the feeling on port noise.

We have some self print leaflets to publicise the meeting on the Port Noise at the IP Centre on Tuesday.  Pleas email me if you want a copy on noise@bridgeward.org.uk

Just a quick reminder that there is a public meeting on the port noise:

Date: Tuesday 6 October

Time: 6.00pm – 8.00pm

Venue: IP-City Centre, Bath Street (near Wherstead Road)

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.

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.

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