News from the B1115 Stowmarket Relief Road project

The first phase of the works in Gipping Way/Station Road is coming to an end, the new footway will be opened and cones removed from the road (the new widening will left coned off).

On Monday 15th February 2010 the other side of Gipping Way will be reduced in width between Station Road West and Union Street West, alongside the Aldi Supermarket.

Given the restricted working space alongside the supermarket, pedestrians on Gipping Way will have to use the footway on the other side of the road.

Shortly after this, work will commence on the other side of the Junction in Gipping Way outside Hopgood’s.

The works on this side of Gipping Way (west side) should take 3 to 4 weeks.

Some delays may occur due to the reduced number of lanes at the junction, but at least one lane in eachl direction will be available at all times.

However during this Phase we will have to make some temporary adjustments to the existing traffic signals at Station Road - unfortunately the use of temporary 4 way lights during these adjustments will cause delays, but this should only be for one day.

Works will continue on Gipping Way at the new relief road junction for the next 4 weeks with the realignment of the footways followed by the installation of the new traffic islands in the middle of the road.

Works are also in progress in Creeting Road between Elizabeth Way and the Tomo Industrial Estate, most of these works should be alongside the existing road, but two traffic signals may be required from time to time.

Not the final verdict on unitary government for Suffolk

Local Government Minister, Rosie Winterton MP, today announced that the Government were, effectively, going back to the drawing board with regard to the review of local government in Suffolk.

"After careful consideration of the Boundary Committee's recommendations and representations from local councils, MPs, stakeholders and the public Ministers found that there were divergent views across Suffolk local councils as to what would be the best unitary solution for the county. No single proposal emerged that Ministers believed that local councils would unite behind.

"We are therefore inviting the all the Suffolk councils and MPs through a countywide constitutional convention to reach a consensus on a unitary solution for that area."

The format for this convention is yet to be announced, but there will be more news as we have it.

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.