Exciting new arts opportunities for communities across Mid Suffolk

Culture, I hear you sigh. How do we cope without a cinema showing subtitled films, or an art gallery, or even an opera house within ten miles (if these things do exist, please let me know...)? Well, the chances of Creeting St Peter Parish Council building any of these things are pretty remote (and trust me, if there was any money available, I'd be spending it on a high speed rail link to London) but all is not lost.

Home Grown is a new project intended to offer help and support for groups in Mid Suffolk over the next two years. It will create a new touring arts scheme and offer mentoring opportunities and advice surgeries on how you can bring arts into your community.

If you're interested, there will be a launch event taking place on Saturday, February 20th at the Town Hall Galleries in Ipswich between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. There will be showcase performances and one to one surgeries after lunch. Attendance is free but booking is essential.

To book your space or to find out more, telephone 01953 713390 or e-mail admin@creativeartseast.co.uk

Are you getting everything you're entitled to?

We've had a letter from the Mid Suffolk Citizens Advice Bureau, based in the metropolis that is Stowmarket, informing us of a new venture.

The Benefit and Income Maximisation (BIM) project allows you to consult a paid project worker who will undertake a full benefit entitlement check, apply for any benefits to which you may be entitled but are not currently receiving and give advice and ideas on how you might increase income generally. You can make an appointment to see them at the bureau (5 Milton Road South, Stowmarket) or, if you have mobility issues, at home by arrangement. Call them on 01449 676060 or 01449 676280.

They also have a website, with a host of information available, and a link has been added from this blog in case you need it in the future.

And that's why your Council Tax is so high...

Courtesy of our Parish Clerk, I have received a bundle of papers to read, inwardly digest, and then pass on to my colleagues. It's amazing just how much of it there is, and indeed, how interesting it is. Amongst the latest bundle was an advertisement for bits of 'street furniture', including dog waste bins.

As a keen observer of our finances (it's your money, after all), I was astonished to find that a dog waste bin costs £245 plus VAT (£287.88 in total). Given that Creeting St Peter has three, one at each entrance to the village, that would equate to about 22% of our annual budget were we to have to replace them. I dread to think how much it would cost to replace the street lights...

Do you use the Suffolk County Council website? Want to make it more user-friendly?

The Council is thoroughly renewing its online presence to provide a comprehensive online gateway to its full range of services including social care, local democracy, information, education, etc. The aim is to provide a completely user-centred experience which people find natural and easy to use and which encourages them to use the site for everything from choosing a school for their children to arranging social care or researching volunteering opportunities in Suffolk.

As independent researchers, Cultural Intelligence has been asked to conduct a public consultation in two phases. The first is an exploratory phase to inform the development of the website and the second will be user testing of the site whilst it is still in development.

We are looking for around 40 Suffolk citizens who will participate in up to two 2 hour workshops – one in February and one in April/May or June. It should provide an interesting and rewarding experience for those involved. The workshops will be held in Ipswich and Lowestoft. The team will include relative beginners as well as advanced web users with people participating in small groups of a similar web experience to themselves. All participants will receive £30 per workshop as a thank you and to cover their expenses.

We are very keen to involve a broad range of people and are particularly keen to involve people from the following groups which are priority groups for Adult and Community Services:

· Parents

· Older people

· Family carers

· People with physical disabilities

· People with mild learning disabilities

· People with mental health issues

· People for whom English is not a first language

All participants will be aged 16yrs +. Whilst we plan to include relative beginners, participants will need some ability to use the web independently.

We are recruiting between now and 22nd January so there is a need for urgency. If you know of anybody who might be interested in joining the team please let them/us know. You can apply at www.audience.co.uk/speakup.html where there is a short online questionnaire to complete. Alternatively you can call 01394 388029 and we will complete the questionnaire for you by phone.

B1115 relief road in Stowmarket nears completion!

Courtesy of the site supervisor, news reaches us of progress on the relief road linking Cedars Park with the centre of Stowmarket...

With the end of the cold snap in sight, works will recommence in Stowmarket on the construction of the new relief.

On Monday 18th January 2010 works should start on the alterations to existing junction of Gipping Way and Station Road.

The first phase will consist widening Gipping Way between Stowupland Road and Station Road, which will require the existing road to be reduced in width on the approach to the traffic signals from Bury St Edmunds.

Whilst two-way traffic will be maintained at all times, the number of traffic lanes approaching the signals will be reduced from two to one, this in turn will delay traffic using the junction.

This lane reduction will be in operation for 24 hours a day, traffic delays should be minimal during the day but will be more noticeable at peak times.

As the works progress different lanes on different approaches to the traffic signals will be coned off to traffic.

Pedestrians movements will be maintained at all times and short local diversions will be set up, generally pedestrians will be re-routed onto the coned off sections of road.

This type of work will be on going for the next 6 to 8 weeks, with different lane closures of different approaches, with the final part of the works being the replacement of the traffic signals at the junction, hopefully this will be done on one Sunday at the end of March 2010.

*** Wednesday, January 13th - Emergency works at Stowmarket Station, level crossing closed ***

Due to Network Rail emergency repair works, the B1115 Stowupland Road, Stowmarket will be closed at the level crossing from 2330hrs Wednesday 13 January to 0600hrs Thursday 14 January 2010.

The alternative route will be via the B1115 Station Road East - A1308 Gipping Way - U4624 Crown Street - Cardinalls Road - B1113 Newton Road and vice versa.

Pedestrian access will be maintained although there may be some delays at times due to the nature of the works and for safety reasons.

Dustbin and recycling collections

For those of you struggling with full dustbins, here's the latest news, courtesy of Parish Clerk, Rosemary Cochrane...

If your recycling bin was due to be collected on Saturday, but was not due to the bad weather, please can you leave your bins out as the guys are trying to catch up using spare vehicles. Black rubbish bin collection will be back to normal this week.

So, don't worry, help is on the way!