Ipswich Borough Council announced at the South West Area forum meeting that there will be a public meeting devoted entirely to the port noise.  It will be at Grafton House at a date and time to be announced.  I have no idea whether Associated British Ports or Southern CementUniland will turn up.

We’ll announce this on the blog when we know.  To get on the mailing list email noise@bridgeward.org.uk

The South West Area forum was interesting with about half the people at the meeting who had never been before and who came along specifically about the noise (as shown by a show of hands).  Well done to Peter Evans for a professional presentation of the problems with the noise.

An interesting point to come up were the amount of jobs at threat if this goes on, with some major investors worked up about this.  ”Looking into the situation” as Labour have promised on their leaflets is just not good enough.

Southern Cement are showing their idea of what it’s like to be a good neighbour:

Here’s a Southern Cement ship discharging cement into the surrounding air.

Remember the South West Area forum meeting will be at St Francis Church hall on Hawthorn Drive (there’s a map here).  If you need a lift give me a call on 683 669 and I will try to arrange a lift.

This message was sent to the cement ship email list (ask me and I’ll add you) and I think that it is a good idea to give it as broad an audience as possible:

Dear All,
SOUTH WEST FORUM MEETING at 6.15pm St Francis Church Hall, 192 Hawthorn
Drive, Ipswich, Wednesday 2nd September 2009
THIS Wednesday is an important day concerning our on-going noise battle   At
the SW  Forum Peter Evans will get a short time to present our case. There
will be many councilors present .
It is very important that as many people as possible attend, so it can be
seen how many people  are affected and are bothered enought to attend .
PLEASE DO YOUR BEST TO ATTEND.  Do tell your neighbours as well.
If you need a lift, give me an email or phone call.
If you can take a passenger or two, please contact me.
I know all these meetings are wearing and it seems that we are not getting
very far quickly, but NO SHOW  will mean NO STOPPING OF THE NOISE.
We must keep up the pressure. They would like us to give up.

It’s not finished, and there’s going to be more, but we’ve started a noise abatement group site here:

http://bridgeward.org.uk/group/noise/home.html

We’re hoping to get some help with delivering an upcoming leaflet in Stoke Park and Maidenhall Estate, as well.

Well the noise has started again.  Please don’t forget to complain.  It would be interesting to know whether it’s better or worse than usual.

We are also looking for people to be able to give lifts to the South West Area forum next Wednesday.

There’s still time to complain about the expansion of Southern Cement, but it will run out soon.  We’ve already had councillors from Stoke Park (who are now getting a large number of complaints about the noise) and local Residents Associations.  One of the Bridge ward councillors has also expressed his unease.

We’ve also petitioned the Council Executive to take the decision rather than the officials.  By all means join in and keep up the pressure.  The address is:

I’ve just had a Labour voting member of the Noise Abatement group on the phone, livid.

A Labour councillor from a nearby ward has been telling him that he doesn’t know what the fuss is all about, he’s only heard the noise once and that he is proud to have opposed any moves to lend noise recording equipment to residents.

If I can get this person to forward the councillors behaviour in writing, I’ll be approaching the Bridge Labour councillors (who are not to blame) about this before revealing the sneering councillors name.

I was in Sandringham Close and the surrounding area knocking on doors and we had at least ten people complaining about the noise from the Southern Cement ship.  This is in an area where there has been little previous work.  This noise is getting everywhere and people are not sure where it’s coming from until they’ve been told.

I know there are some in the borough council (who do read this) who wish that this would just go away, but it will not until Southern Cement gets the noise down.

I was at a meeting of the Maidenhall Residents Association last night talking about the Southern Cement noise and talking about the far flung places it has been heard – Chantry Estate, Belstead Brook, Wherstead Village.  “Well I heard it down the Ipswich Hospital when I visited my daughter.”

That’s the furthest, by far

I’d like to remind readers that we have until 25th August to get the complaints into the council about Southern Cement’s expansion. 

Complaints are to be addressed to:

Environmental Protection Services
Ipswich Borough Council
Grafton House
Ipswich
IP1 2DE

It it an environmental permit variation and it mainly concerns the dust.  If you think that Southern Cement has been negligent with the way they treat discharged dust then please say so.