For som
e time, Simon Wills, Shelley Pingo, Kathryn Grandon and I have been agitating for Suffolk County Council to restore the subsidy which was previously given to the later evening bus services from Ipswich to Hadleigh. Simon provided the legal research and a lot of lobbying muscle, Shelley collected over 3,750 signatures and Kathryn & I provided our political skills and connections in getting the idea in front of the right people. The funding was withdrawn last year and the bus operator stopped operating the service. Since that time Hadleigh has faced an evening curfew and has been marooned on Sundays and Bank Holidays. On these days we could be a desert island as far as public transport collectively is concerned. This has had social, educative, community and economic consequences for Hadleigh. Our residents have no local train options, entertainment options or higher education options. To take the train, visit the cinema, attend college and many other things residents have to visit Ipswich. And if that involves a journey after 6 p.m., they are stuck. Such opportunities are open to those who have access to a car. Suffolk County Council allowed us to speak to the Council on Thursday. I was delegated to do the deliver my speech of a lifetime. Thankfully the Council had listened to our earlier presentations and have agreed to a trial six month restoration of the later evening, Sunday and Bank Holiday bus services. This will aid economic recovery , enhance sustainable growth and plug the social gaps.
Because whether you are in catering, retail, hospitality, leisure, medical or manufacturing work patterns require you to be able to get home after six fifteen in the evening! We need the bus service – otherwise we are cut off from economic development, educational opportunity and enhanced leisure activity. Thankfully from August onwards we shall be back on the road after 6.15 in the evenings.
Well done, Suffolk County Council.
hadleigh
After the Floods
Today is the day of the Hadleigh Show. There has been much discussion as to whether the ground would be too soft for the fair and other heavy footprint machinery. But the rain held off and in the afternoon it was quite sunny. The River Brett is back to normal as the following show:
Rain & Floods
Thursday was quite heavy with rain. The River Brett overflowed its banks at various places around Hadleigh. By Friday the waters were still fast flowing but had abated a bit. The photo’s were all taken around 11 a.m.
Hadleigh to the fore
I spend a lot of my time supporting constituents in their dealings with Babergh. So it is only right that I report Babergh’s willing responsiveness to correct matters which I think are out of order. Earlier this week I had an email from the Tourism & Arts Manager informing me (and others) of the web site http://www.thesuffolkguide.co.uk which complements Babergh’s official tourism website www.southandheartofsuffolk.org.uk. When I clicked on the suffolkguide link I was horrified to see that Hadleigh was left off of the map. I was not backward in coming forward and pointed out the deficiencies to Babergh for onward continuation to Mark Scott the web site owner. I’m pleased to say that the home page map has been changed and Hadleigh is now visible at first sight. Alas all is still not well in the garden. The towns’ and villages’ section lists the features of each. Regrettably Hadleigh get 105 words parading its charms, Lavenham has 200 words despite having fewer listed buildings than ourselves and Polstead (a village with a total population of about 820) gets 157 words. So in terms of puff we are definitely poor relations. I have contacted Babergh so that I can be put in touch with Mark Scott and in the meantime I’ll ask the Town Council to suggest appropriate wording so that we are not short-changed and Internet-abused.
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