Liberal Democrats - Working for you in Ipswich
Ipswich Liberal Democrats
The Liberal Democrats in Ipswich have a proud history, providing leadership in both ideas and action on the Borough and County Councils.
Our Liberal Democrat Councillors
Our current Liberal Democrat Councillors are Oliver Holmes and Tim Lockington, Ipswich Borough Councillors for St Margaret's Ward, and Inga Lockington, Ipswich Borough Councillor for St Margaret's Ward and Suffolk County Councillor for St Margaret's and Westgate.
ASKING, LISTENING, LEARNING, ACTING
Putting People and the Environment First
FOCUS ON IPSWICH
Items from our recent "Focus" newsletters
Local Government in Ipswich
We now know that from 2028 the south of Suffolk will be served by a single Unitary Council. This will deliver the things the County does (eg.Highways, Adult Social Care and Special Needs education) plus the services that the Borough provides. This Council will be based around the Orwell Estuary and includes Ipswich, Felixstowe and surrounding Parishes. There will also be West Suffolk and East Suffolk Unitary Councils, serving Bury St.Edmunds and Lowestoft as their major urban centres.
We believe that good Unitary Local Government must be big enough to balance the books but not remote from the people it serves. For us, the Three Unitary Council model was the best on offer. In the Consultations that were done it seems that Suffolk people agreed. Ipswich has a long, proud civic history. There is work to be done to make sure our Town does not lose its identity when the Borough ceases to exist, in 2028. Ipswich Borough Council has voted to set up a new Town Council (a “Parish Council” for Ipswich) to look after the special things about our Town, such as our parks, culture and heritage.
Residents' Parking Charges
In March last year Ipswich Borough Council's Labour-controlled Executive adopted a new proposal for higher residents' parking fees based on car length, to be confirmed after statutory consultation. Only “small” cars would be exempt. Small family cars like the Ford Fiesta were classed as “medium” and owners would pay 25% more. The longest cars would be subject to a 50% increase. When we questioned these surcharges, we were told they were needed to fund the additional costs of the new scheme!
Why did they want to do this?
This was meant to free-up limited kerb space. This could only work if small cars were prevented from using spaces left by large or medium cars. There were no plans to mark out bays.
At the next Full Council meeting Councillor Tim Lockington asked: “Can I be assured that if the consultation demonstrates considerable concern or dissatisfaction with the policy, given that it is a service provided, on cost, to facilitate resident parking, that the decision may be subject to change?” The answer was “…. if you get one person who is going to object to the cost that in itself is not going to persuade the answer …so it is going to be looking at all the proposals and the representations received.”
A win for Liberal Democrats working with local people.
The initial 3-week consultation in June consisted of complicated small-print notices attached to a number of lamp posts in affected roads and a local newspaper advert which ticked the “statutory consultation” box. It was quickly apparent that most residents had not noticed or understood the street notices.
We distributed a Local Street Focus to affected residents in St.Margaret’s, Alexandra and Westgate Wards, drawing attention to the consultation and the implications of the change. People began to contact the Council in numbers and, belatedly, the Council extended the consultation period and also e-mailed people individually (which we were originally told could not be done). The early August start date was postponed and, in early September, we learned that the Council had abandoned the changes and the flat rate tariff would continue as previously.
At the Full Council meeting that followed, Councillor Inga Lockington asked how many residents had written in favour and how many were opposed to the change. The answer: 11 people in favour and 280 against. Clearly, if residents had been involved from the start there would have been no need for the costs of the messy consultation that followed, or the trouble this caused for residents
An Ipswich to be proud of?
PAVEMENTS
The Council wants us to be proud of Ipswich yet, for many of us, pride begins in the street where we live.
The County Council (SCC) is responsible for street trees, grass verges, blocked drains, and the grass and weeds that invade the pavements creating hazard for pedestrians.
The Borough Council (IBC) is responsible for keeping pavements free of litter and detritus (dead vegetable matter) but not the plants and pavement overgrowths (skirts) unless they are killed off by SCC treatment and become detritus.
Pavement weeds and spreading growths are hazardous for pedestrians. These have got out of hand in many areas.
• Our cash-strapped Councils are no longer prepared to look after our pavements as they used to.
• We know that some residents clear pavement weeds from outside their homes.
Should this be encouraged and supported by our Councils' staff? Let us know what you think.
GREEN VERGES AND ROUNDABOUTS
Unmanaged overgrowth of pavements and green verges can became a real problem if the Council (IBC in this case) reduces grass-cutting, and County Highways are too slow to increase their maintenance “safety” cuts.
County Councillor, Inga Lockington has learned that we should have three cuts a year (but this is half the number that was in place previously).
Suffolk Highways has made it clear that these cuts are only for safety reasons rather than to make our Town look better.
In Suffolk most Borough/District and Parish Councils top up the County Council’s “safety” cuts to improve the appearance and biodiversity of Highway green spaces. IBC has chosen not to.
Recently, the wild-flower planting of Westerfield Road roundabout became overwhelmed by unmanaged grass and scrub growth. This was not only unsightly but a major safety hazard.
A number of residents have felt compelled to cut the verges outside their homes when things get out of control.
We deserve better than this. Our Councils must learn how to work with street-proud residents so that we can build and care for local environments that we can all be proud of.
FOCUS COMMENT
It is Public knowledge that Council finances across the Country are very hard-pressed and some Councils (such as Birmingham) are effectively bankrupt.
If our Borough and County Councils are no longer able to look after our streets as they used to they should be open and honest about this, work with street-proud residents and communities so that, together, we can create attractive and safe streets that we can all be proud of.
The Fonnereau Way
The Children’s Play area in the Country Park is now open for families. You can only get to it from Westerfield Village or Henley Road until the blocked-off pedestrian bridge is opened. We are told this will not be until next year. Opening the bridge will restore the Fonnereau Way for walkers, and provide easy access to the Country Park for North Ipswich residents. Planning consent to provide road access and utilities to the Play Area, Park Centre and Car Park has only just been submitted. We will continue to push for the bridge to be open much sooner than currently proposed.
Broom Hill Pool and Park.
Councillor Inga Lockington asked for an update on Broomhill Pool at the February 2026 Full Council meeting. She was told that :- “the Council cannot yet move a restoration project forward….. We really need (Fusion Lifestyle) to relinquish their lease… Until we have possession of the site and have secured all necessary funding it is impossible to set a date for completion of the restoration”. Inga also asked that the site be tidied up to stop it from attracting antisocial behaviour around the Pool and Park. As part of the tidying up we are delighted that the concrete storage shed on the west side of the building has been removed, improving security by opening up the space. Since Inga’s enquiry it has been reported that new “Pride of Place funding” for the Whitehouse area could be used. We checked this out in a question at the Borough’s last Full Council meeting. We were told that the Borough was still committed to reopening the Pool but that the Press report was premature and Pride of Place money may not be available for this.
Speed Indicator Displays in Tuddenham Road and Anglesea Road
Around the time City Fibre was digging in the verge along Tuddenham Road, near Dorset Close, they messed up the electric feed to the Speed Monitor that we had installed some years ago. Cllr. Inga Lockington finally persuaded the County Council to reinstall the missing Post so that small Community SIDs (speed indicator displays) could be mounted for a week at a time. We now have a larger fixed SID in place which, together with the extra 30mph painted on the road approaching the railway bridge, will remind drivers about the danger of speeding on the road and bridge.
County Highways’ Officers recommend that SIDs are shared between two sites. The Tuddenham Road sign will be shared with Anglesea Road which has similar hazardous speed issues. The current SID mounting pole in Anglesea Road will need to be moved further from the school wall to accommodate this new larger SID sign. Once that has been done the SID can be moved between the two sites.
Telecoms Mast Vermont Close / Kiln Close
There is an application to replace the current 15m telecom mast with one that is nearly twice as tall. Kiln Close residents tell us that the mast is already much higher than 15 metres as the land on which it is placed is raised behind their houses. The current mast is already at the height of the trees. Increasing it to the proposed height will be intrusive not only for residents close by, but also for many in the wider neighbourhood. If Officers do not feel they can refuse this, Inga has asked that it is referred to the Planning Committee for determination. Check out the application on the Borough’s planning portal - Reference number is 26/00180/TP
Tuddenham Road railway bridge
County Highways Officers are intent on turning the two lanes on this steep poorly-sighted bridge into a single lane for traffic travelling in and out of Town, regulated by traffic lights. This follows the County Council’s cancellation of the planned High School in the northern fringe development. Officers believe this is needed so that Northgate pupils from the future Red-House estate can cut across Tuddenham Road, north of the railway, rather than using the safer pedestrian route to the Tuddenham Road roundabout. Because of the steep nature of the Bridge, traffic light failure or people jumping the lights, will create massive danger.
Despite strong representation from residents and Councillor Inga Lockington, the proposal is now included in the planning permission for the site. We will continue to press for a rethink before this road traffic change is finalised. Instead of piecemeal planning like this we need a proper review of traffic flows in Henley, Tuddenham and Westerfield Roads and a plan that understands the travel needs of the local community. At present, with two lanes but only one pavement, speeding drivers create a major hazard for traffic and pedestrians alike, including those accessing the cemetery on foot. Inga has arranged for 30mph signs to be painted on the road before the bridge and hopefully, with the assistance of speed indicator displays, this will help.
Samuel Court / Blanche Street news.
Pharmacy plan for previous Door to Door business.
This was eventually approved. By IBC’s Planning Committee despite major concerns about the building’s design, the impact on parking in the area, the use of the Highway as part of the planning proposal and the major problem of hazardous traffic in the area. The applicant told the Committee that this was to replace the Orchard Street Pharmacy because it would be closing. We now understand that Orchard Street Pharmacy will be staying open after all.
Recent Hit-and-run at the junction with Cemetery Road.
Residents contacted us about this serious incident involving a local resident. We have discussed this with the police. It needs to be fully investigated and the culprit dealt with if identified. This accident highlights residents’ concerns about the traffic hazards in the neighbourhood that were raised with the Planning Committee over the Pharmacy proposal.
St. John's Ambulance site.
A planning request to replace the former St. Johns Ambulance station with a self-store lockup business was rejected but has now been reintroduced by the site's new owners with a revised plan. In the meantime, a local car lease and repair business has been operating from the forecourt. We have been working with Planning Control and the current operator, to ensure that this business is properly regulated and the site kept tidy, until an alternative use that is acceptable for the area can be brought forward. It is very important that whatever happens to this site does not add to the parking and travel problems for residents.
Easier access along Anglesea Road
County Councillor, Inga Lockington has arranged for dropped kerbs to be installed to make it easier for wheelchair and buggy users to cross the access road to the Ipswich School building on Anglesea Road. This should make it a lot easier to get to the zebra crossing close to the Anglesea Road / Henley Road junction
Vista Emergency Access via Hayhill Road
There is only one way in and out of the Vista Estate, via Woodbridge Road. Emergency access is provided by a small slip-road exiting onto Hayhill Road/Cemetery Road. It has now become necessary to install enforceable Double-Yellow Lines to prevent the access from being blocked by parked cars (see picture). Parking here is like blocking an emergency exit in a theatre. It must not happen. Until the Double Yellow Lines are in place, please do not block this Emergency exit.
