Thanks to everyone who had a go at the first poll on residents parking. Clear view that needed in the town centre but an even split between throughout the tyown centre and only in some areas.

The new Poll  is an interesting question.  “What site do you think most suitable for Sudbury’s new health facility?”

There are 4 options. The PCT has not decided yet which is the site. They may have said Walnuttree is the preferred site but that is on a paper exercise and bids by developers will be made to provide the facility and then the PCT will decide. So lets get a view of what people think.

Last night at the Town Hall, the Conservative run County Council revealed that the bypass had been ranked 96 out of the 98 schemes put forward for funding in the East of England, upto 2019. They told us that it would be more than 10 years or more before the bypass could be built even if funding was agreed. They revealed the biggest stumbling block is the environmental impact on landscape but that the relief on the built environment from a road, is not weighted enough by the Government.

Disappointingly, they did not answer the questions on what interim traffic management had been implemented in the town over the last 3-5 years because they hadn’t done any! This is essential to help the bypass case as the Government had said (when bypass last turned down) that such measures were needed to prove the need for a bypass.

They also revealed or did not deny that the 1 interim measure planned (improving Belle Vue junction) had been down graded. We have only been waiting 6 years for this!

The Conservative administration may say they support our bypass but they have done very little on the ground in terms of traffic management in Sudbury to relieve our problems.

When I asked them what plans they had to deal with traffic levels now and future growth if no bypass was likely? It was met with, “we are not here to talk about traffic management.” You can draw your own conclusion.

Thankfully, the public agreed last night that another meeting to discuss interim traffic measures is needed. Well done the Sudbury Society for organising it and the future meeting.

Thursday 22nd January at 7.30pm in the Town Hall, there is a public meeting on the bypass organised by the Sudbury Society. Lord Phillips will chair with Mr McGregor, Portfolio Holder from Suffolk County Council, Peter Grimm a Senior Transport Officer there to answer questions and explain the issues. Hope to see you there.

The County Council are going to improve the front access for the disabled and other users of the Library.  Plans have clearly been sorted with English Heritage and problems solved. The Plans in the Town Hall also show the build out to be built on that side of Market Hill which will narrow the road from the Library to Lloyds Bank. It will mean road closures while works are done to the part leading to Friars St from Market Hill. Work will last 4 months and the road to Friars St will be closed from Feb 14th to March 15th.

The Development committee upheld the  recommendation of officers to refuse the plan for homes on the Lury House site, Bulmer Rd despite our efforts to get this site sorted out. The main issue is the protection of employment land. A mixed use development may resolve this.

Presumably an appeal will be considered by the applicant.

After a meeting with the PCT last night, I can tell you that the  new improved X ray should be up and running at St Leonards in early February. It will improve services as children will be able to have an X ray in town and the IT link to the West Suffolk will mean a faster service.

The Outline Business case for our new health facility has apparently received a sympathetic hearing from the Strategic Health Authority, the PCT tell us. We await a decision.

The site has not been decided, despite what the press might suggest. Walnuttree has been shown to be the preferred site in an analysis of NHS sites but only just and no non-NHS sites were evaluated in the exercise. At present, any site could be used even one not previously thought of.

We will be clear of which possible sites once the project has gone out to tender and developers put their bids in.

I hope this clarifies the situation.

Babergh has announced that 2 under 18’s and 2 adults plus Delphi have won Community Achievement Awards run by Babergh District Council.

Babergh runs an excellent scheme with local judges and including youngsters on the Panel of judges. The Award ceremony is always a heart warming evening that places serving and giving to the Community at its heart. Congratulations to all the winners.

At Full Council on Tuesday night, a 4.9% increase was set for the Town Council’s part of the Council tax.

Unfortunately, the Conservatives have decided to cut the hours of our award winning Tourist Information Centre and they refused to support the funding for Eden’s Youth Club to open for an extra night per week.

The Tories also refused to cut the Mayor’s allowance which was proposed as a sign that if the Town Council, under their direction, was cutting money to worthy organisations and services then there should be a reduction of spending on pomp and ceremony.

The reasons for this quite high increase and cuts in services is simply due to that land decision which hits the taxpayer for £17,000 this year.

Last night, the Finance committee met of the Town Council and is recommending to Full Council on the 13th Jan a 6.9% increase which is alot better than the initial 11.5% which I posted before. The reasons for the high increase remain as before. There is still along way to go though. The Tories on the Town Council now have a dilemma, to get the increase down to inflation some serious cuts in services or grants to local charities wil have to be made. If only they had thought about this before they committted themselves to some serious spending they can’t get out of now.