BACKUP THE ORWELL BRIDGE NOW!

ORWELL AHEAD calls for a joined-up BACKUP PLAN FOR THE ORWELL BRIDGE to preserve prosperity for Greater Ipswich & Felixstowe, and far beyond.

Like many we are appealing for COLLECTIVE ATTENTION and ACTION from Ipswich & Felixstowe MPs (Jack Abbott, Patrick Spencer, and Jenny Riddell Carpenter), Suffolk County Council, Ipswich Borough Council, ESDC, Babergh & MSDC, Transport East, Suffolk Chamber, and the newly established Suffolk Business Board.

In 2016, Suffolk County Council commissioned WSP to carry out major analysis of the Greater Ipswich & Felixstowe transport system. It overwhelmingly evidenced the need for an Ipswich Northern Bypass (INR). Producing greatest savings of C02 emissions (110,000 tonnes over 60 years).

WHAT IS AT STAKE:

£2.1 BILLION GVA & 15,000 jobs in Ipswich and Felixstowe;

£16 BILLION GVA & 30,000 jobs in the East as a whole.

Supporting 40% Britain's containerized trade, & its significant portion of Britain's £127 BILLION GVA in freight & £400 BILLION GVA in manufacturing.

Sources: WSP. UK Chamber. GovUK

In 2018, SCC commissioned WSP again to carry out analysis for Orwell Crossings (in addition to a INR). Once again, road crossing considered vital as a backup route for when the bridge closes + essential east-west link across town and could take 15% volume of traffic off the bridge.

The 2020 INR consultation was in our opinion an absolute sham, deliberately designed to fail. Adding two further unlikely “phantom” routes, galvanised 20 Suffolk villages and two Suffolk districts against ANY bypass. 10 public consultations staged, 9 in hostile villages that thought they may be affected; just ONE in Ipswich and NONE in Felixstowe! 

SCC then declared that “Suffolk doesn't support a bypass for Ipswich”! Yet, the consultation had NEVER been billed as a referendum or verdict on the scheme. Ipswich and Felixstowe have been duped.

The INR was shelved. Months later SCC claimed the Orwell Crossings is too expensive & shelved it too.

Four years later all we have is inertia. All the evidence ignored. The problem grows. NO plan B. NO alternative routes planned. The whole Northern Bypass scheme has been shelved. 

12,000 houses planned to the north, east and west of Ipswich, 8000 of them by neighbouring rural Suffolk Councils by East Suffolk Council and Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Councils, who love to dump their housing on Ipswich's back door but never equip Ipswich and its shared stakeholders with the roads, services and infrastructure needed to cope.

The chance to future-proof Ipswich & Felixstowe's highway and infastructure needs for the next 50 years is gone, and eventually along with our major container trades (and 30,000 local jobs), to London and Southampton who have wisely invested in their roads. 

There is no proposed link road, or single carriageway relief road planned around the north for the new houses, and even upgrades to key junctions like Copdock are decades away. Suffolk County Council has no plans, ideas or strategy at all for Ipswich & Felixstowe's highways, nor backup for the Orwell Bridge should it fail.

BACKUP THE ORWELL BRIDGE NOW!

Who should Ipswich vote for in Suffolk's County Council elections?

On 6 May, 2021 many of us will go to the polls to vote in county council elections.

Regardless of your political persuasion the very least you will expect is that your vote counts and that your town and locality is fairly represented.

After all Ipswich is a former County-Borough, one of the oldest local democracies on the planet, with a right to govern since 1200AD.

How wrong and how disappointed you will be when you realize that despite being one of three authorities to form Suffolk County Council in 1974, that the county cabinet rarely contains anyone elected for and by Ipswich!

How can a town that is the catalyst for two-thirds of Suffolk's GVA, which sustains a third of its population, always struggle?

Well perhaps that could be because, very often, no one elected here makes decisions for it at county level....Ipswich has been Suffolkated. The rural Suffolk cart permanently driving the urban Ipswich horse.

Set Ipswich free. It is being “Suffolkated”.

Our article/appeal to set Ipswich free.

Posted today on ConservativeHome website.

https://www.conservativehome.com/localgovernment/2020/12/mark-ling-set-ipswich-free-it-is-being-suffolkated.html

Set Ipswich free. It is being “Suffolkated”.

"Urban Ipswich has been effectively excluded from power, excluded from the growth it underpins. Suffolk’s only ambition for it: containment"

From the much neglected perspective of an urban Conservative local voter, I find it extraordinary how little interest and understanding there is about local democratic structures or the impact they have on our sense of place. The Local Government Act of 1972 (implemented in 1974) was, in my view, a precursor to dissolving the power of our boroughs, our towns and cities. My home town, Ipswich, has a right to self- local government as granted by King John in AD1200. Ipswich is one of the oldest local democracies in the world. As a corporation, then County-Borough, it had a strong identity and sense of place and pride. A fully accountable single tier authority, elected by and for the people who live here and who share in its services and infrastructure.

In 1974 Ipswich County Borough was forced into a tripartite county council with East Suffolk and West Suffolk Authorities. Ipswich was “Suffolkated” overnight. The cemented majority is always from rural Suffolk with a common purpose and outlook; certainly with no understanding of, or affiliation to, gritty urban Ipswich. Over the years Suffolk County Council’s all-powerful cabinet has often not contained a single representative and decision-maker from urban Ipswich. Suffolk’s only major conurbation, its powerhouse and economic heart – supporting a third of Suffolk’s population and two-thirds its economy – has been diminished; from total authority to almost none at county level. It feels like Suffolk County Council has become an “occupying force”; based here, making all decisions for here, but rarely by anyone elected here.

Ipswich citizens and businesses are totally baffled and blindsided by two tier local government. They simply don’t understand that most of the major decisions affecting the town’s social services, infrastructure, strategic planning, economic development, and growth, are made by a Suffolk County Council cabinet over which they have no say, or sway. The Borough, ring-fenced in obsolete boundaries last set in 1835, is also hopelessly compromised at district level. It is a relative bystander as neighbouring districts, and a new super-district East Suffolk District Council, dominate all Ipswich’s growth; dumping much of their planned housing on Ipswich’s periphery, no doubt in order to protect their rural villages. These neighbouring districts never reinvest into the centre that sustains it all. They have no direct accountability to, or interest in, Borough stakeholders who are in fact shareholders in the overwhelmed services and infrastructure that our town provides to all.

The biggest predator to Ipswich’s ailing high street retail is not Norwich, Cambridge, or London; but Martlesham, right on Ipswich’s back door. East Suffolk has built up a massive retail and business park with out-of-town parking. It is built right opposite to Ipswich’s pointless Park & Ride. Why would anyone take an extra bus journey into Ipswich when you can park and shop there?

Today, we have the Suffolk cart leading the Ipswich horse. Urban Ipswich has been effectively excluded from power, excluded from the growth it underpins. Suffolk’s only ambition for it: containment. A system where Ipswich must never encroach on neighbouring districts but where those districts may freely encroach upon and freely share Ipswich’s assets, infrastructure, and services. Sadly, most Ipswich citizens and businesses are oblivious as to what has been lost. They can see and feel that the town is failing but they don’t understand why. Those in power in Suffolk probably do know why. Yet it is simply not in their interests to entertain reform that returns any greater authority to Ipswich, because they unfairly benefit from the status quo.

I set up a campaign and even issued a proposal for reform that could provide costs savings – and make local government more local – for all non-metropolitan and non-unitary councils.

Needless to say there was absolutely no interest from local government leaders. Perhaps Conservative Home readers will give my proposals a look at www.orwellahead.co.uk – and consider how local government can be better reformed, restoring democratic power back to those in former county-boroughs like Ipswich.

Article written by Mark Ling, December 2020.

Ipswich Hospital Elective Orthopaedics: A shocking loss of Ipswich's authority.

It has been incredible - and in a way inspiring - to witness almost 10,000 people collectively voice their disapproval to the transfer of Ipswich Hospital Elective Orthopaedics to Colchester.

It is appalling that ESNEFT has continued regardless; ignoring YOU, some of their own surgeons, their own public consultation, plus Ipswich's elected MP and elected Borough Leader.

We hope that the sheer scale of support for this petition will make ESNEFT (an unelected quango) think again before further stripping Ipswich Hospital assets.

In closing the petition, we also wanted to let you know that www.orwellahead.co.uk has campaigned for many years to champion greater and fairer representation for Ipswich and Orwell area and its citizens.

• We are the only campaign that has offered solutions for local government reform; proposals to create greater efficiency, reduce local community charges and, critically, to make local government more LOCAL: www.orwellahead.co.uk/reform-suffolk

• We were the only campaign to make a comprehensive case in favour of the Ipswich Northern Bypass, highlighting the huge socioeconomic benefits it will deliver. www.orwellahead.co.uk/ipswich-northern-bypass

• We are the only campaign actively lobbying for city status for Ipswich. www.orwellahead.co.uk/ipswich-city-status

• We identified a shocking disparity in lottery funding for Ipswich & Suffolk (versus Norwich & Norfolk) and have offered solutions on how to bridge the gap. www.orwellahead.co.uk/blog/2020/6/1/suffolks-funding-failure-costs-ipswich-most

• When SCC were seeking to close three quarters of its libraries, we were the only people to present a fully costed business plan for our library, demonstrating that we could run it as a CIC for 30% less outside SCC. The acclaimed model implemented by SCC - as a full IPS under (Suffolk Libraries) - bears a striking resemblance to it.

• We lobbied for and have seen improved representation and coverage for Ipswich & Suffolk on BBC Look East.

• We identified a shocking disparity of representation for Ipswich and Felixstowe (versus Norwich) on the New Anglia LEP and lobbied for significant improvements.

• We have continuously flagged up the massive disparity of representation for Ipswich in local government. How Ipswich as a former County-Borough - and a third stakeholder in the formation of Suffolk County Council- often has NO representation, voice or authority at all on the all-powerful County Council cabinets. Highlighting how this shocking loss of local government authority is having a detrimental effect to our town and its wider area. www.orwellahead.co.uk/why-ipswich-fails

We fully understand that some of you will not agree with everything that we campaign for in the Ipswich area. But you know what, we totally respect that. Whatever the majority of people in Ipswich area want is fine by us just as long as YOURS and Ipswich area's voice is fairly represented and fully heard in Suffolk and on a regional & national stage.

For this PLACE to regain its voice, direction and ambition we KNOW that it can only happen when the former COUNTY-BOROUGH OF IPSWICH finally and fully WINS BACK its stolen AUTHORITY.

Thank you and please keep in touch with www.orwellahead.co.uk

Ipswich hospital Elective Orthopaedics closure: a fait accompli

Orwell Ahead (OA) has been actively supporting efforts to save orthopaedic services and surgery at Ipswich Hospital.

East Suffolk and North Essex Foundation Trust will meet on 14 July to discuss a proposal for the development of a £35m Elective Care Centre at Colchester Hospital that will see these essential services close in Ipswich.

At the time of writing this decision is a fait accompli. ESNEFT has ignored their public consultation (two-thirds against), ignored several of their own surgeons, Ipswich's MP and Ipswich Borough; and tried to discredit Orwell Ahead's public petition against the move.

ESNEFT claimed OA's petition raised public concern and fear by a false assertion that ALL orthopaedic services and surgery will close. The petition never said that. The petition title simply referred to “orthopaedic services and surgery” with the body of the petition providing a concise statement from Tom Hunt MP and IBC Leader David Ellesmere explaining the loss of “elective orthopaedic services”. The public saw through ESNEFT's shameless tactic. The petition stood at 3500 before their intervention, but surged by a further 5500 signatures after it. The petition stands at around 9000 but may well reach 10,000. The reality is that if the petition title had have stated “hip and knee surgery” support for the petition would be exactly the same!

Orwell Ahead’s raison d'être is to highlight Ipswich's shocking loss of local government authority and how it is having a detrimental effect to our town. Ipswich citizens are acutely aware that something is terribly amiss with Ipswich but cannot fathom what. It was the catastrophic Local Government Act 1972. The County Borough of Ipswich was forced into a tripartite county council with East Suffolk and West Suffolk authorities. Urban Ipswich was “Suffolkated”. Overnight Ipswich and Ipswich citizens went from total authority, control and sovereignty over our assets, services and direction; to the last 47 years of having almost no voice or clout on Suffolk County Council cabinets. Suffolk County Council’s all-powerful cabinet has been like an occupying force: based here, controlling here, but rarely by anyone elected here.

Here too, we have the former “Borough General Hospital”, built up by and for the people of Ipswich since the 1880s. Historically its stakeholders would have been 100% from Ipswich County Borough Council and/or Ipswich Hospital NHS, all with the hospital and Ipswich’s best interest at heart. Today, the shared ESNEFT board has five from nine governor stakeholders who are Essex focused. Suffolk County Council’s portfolio holder is from Nayland, near Colchester, and with respect probably does not lose sleep about the closure of Ipswich's historical assets. Ipswich Borough Council has no power at all over its former hospital but has a token SINGLE representative from nine. The decision itself will be taken by an ESNEFT (NHS) board of managers - an unelected quango - with virtually no accountability to Ipswich citizens or its lost authority.

No wonder Ipswich is failing.

www.orwellahead.co.uk/why-ipswich-fails

Change.orG petition: Stop the closure of orthopaedic services and surgery at Ipswich Hospital!

** Update 3 July 2020. Petition about to reach 7500 signatures (7 days). Petition will be formally emailed/sent later today **

Stop the closure of orthopaedic services and surgery at Ipswich Hospital!

www.orwellahead.co.uk started this petition to Ed Garratt & Nick Hulme Ipswich and East Suffolk Clinical Commissioning Group

https://www.change.org/p/ed-garratt-nick-hulme-ipswich-and-east-suffolk-clinical-commissioning-group-stop-the-closure-of-orthopaedics-service-and-surgery-at-ipswich-hospital/

Stop the closure of orthopaedics services and surgery at Ipswich Hospital!

No more downsizing of Ipswich Hospital or its core services.

No more downgrading Ipswich as a regional authority or centre!

Conservative MP for the town Tom Hunt and Labour leader of Ipswich Borough Council David Ellesmere have stated: 

"The proposals would put Ipswich Hospital in the highly unusual position of being a general hospital which doesn’t provide elective orthopaedic surgery. Based on figures from 2018, Ipswich Hospital serves around 390,000 people and we aren’t aware of any other general hospital of a similar size in the East of England which doesn’t offer a full complement of orthopaedic services”

www.OrwellAhead.co.uk says:

"Another painful example of how the downgrading of Ipswich as an authority and place diminishes all Suffolk".

We the undersigned agree.

Suffolk's Funding Failure costs Ipswich most.

78% of charity funds raised in Suffolk spent outside the county, research shows: https://www.eadt.co.uk/news/suffolk-charities-and-anthony-horowitz-campaign-1-6678380

ORWELL AHEAD ASKS how much longer are Suffolk's charities, Suffolk's local government and New Anglia LEP going to ignore the obvious?!

Not only is money pouring out, but we are losing out on vital funding too. Since the National lottery began 20 years ago,

• Suffolk has applied for 4600 grants, securing £267m in funding. Sounds good, until you compare it to our similar situated cousins.

• Norfolk secured 40% more bids and 50% more funding; 6400 bids securing £394m.

• Kings Lynn won £10m more than Bury St Edmunds.

• Gt Yarmouth won £13m more than Lowestoft/Waveney;

• But the real ball-breaker is that Norwich won twice as many bids and a staggering £103m more than Suffolk’s similar sized capital of Ipswich!

Sadly, this only serves to highlight Suffolk’s failure to understand, or support, the former proud county-borough. Why is it that Suffolk’s urban areas are funding failures? We asked a funding expert. The brutal feedback was that

1. Suffolk has fewer national or large voluntary organisations able to leverage the bigger funds.

2. Suffolk lacks the clout, cooperation, resources and support to plan, bid and deliver major projects.

3. Suffolk is viewed as “comfortable”, “quaint and rural”, “little deprivation or lottery funding demand”.

4. Norfolk supports and has ambition for its capital of Norwich, Suffolk does not do this for Ipswich. #alwaysletdownthecountytown

So what needs to be done to reverse this unacceptable trend? Orwell Ahead has continuously called for LEP inspired “funding incubators” for Ipswich & Felixstowe area. To encourage, help administer, fully support, and increase funding applications and bids for this area

• We actually have outstanding talent in Suffolk’s charitable sector.

• We recommend to set up a Business & Academic group for greater Ipswich area, and bring in funding heavy weights. David Sheepshanks, Stephen Singleton and Doug Field should lead a high level review and set up a “Ipswich & Suffolk Funding Forum” with ambitious targets to match Norwich & Norfolk.

• New Anglia LEP should get away from their Norfolk offices, and provide the funds, resources, expertise and staff.

• Suffolk County Council and Suffolk’s Boroughs and Districts should contribute high level representation and a budget.

• Many of the groups/people in Suffolk who need funding most are least equipped to apply for it, so the forum should send in experts to support through to completion.

• The forum must identify Ipswich & Suffolk’s bigger groups with the clout and knowledge to make major, multiple bids; and give them extra resource, support and cooperation to establish a “bid production line”.

• In addition to supporting capital fund raising for schemes and projects, Ipswich and Suffolk’s charitable organisations desperately need long term funding support for essential, on-going, operational budgets. Otherwise they are bound to collapse at some future stage.

  However, sadly because this is an Ipswich issue, Suffolk will continue to ignore it!

Suffolk Day: 20 June, 2020. Nothing for Ipswich to celebrate.

Be under no illusion. Suffolk Day and the Suffolk Flag is manufactured, modern and political.

Unlike the ancient (AD 1200) seal of the Borough of Ipswich, there is no defined Suffolk Flag. In an attempt to build “community spirit” it was launched with the new “County Days” in 2017.

In stark contrast the former County Borough of Ipswich has a right to self-government stretching back to a charter from King John in AD 1200. Under the catastrophic Local Government Act 1972, the County Borough of Ipswich was forced into a tripartite county council with East Suffolk and West Suffolk authorities. Ipswich was Suffolkated.

Ipswich and Ipswich citizens went from total authority, control and sovereignty; to the last 46 years of having almost no voice on the all-powerful county council cabinet. Suffolk County Council is like an occupying force: based here, controlling here, but rarely by anyone elected here.

Meanwhile, Ipswich's success and growth (outside of obsolete boundaries set in 1835) is ruthlessly exploited by neighbouring rural Suffolk districts. Dumping their unwanted housing on to Ipswich's back door (to avoid impact to their own small towns and villages), yet with no direct responsibility to stakeholders who share this regional conurbation. Suffolk’s rural districts cream off local tax revenues from Ipswich’s periphery that should be reinvested into the urban centre that sustains it.

The result is that Ipswich is a poor relation in Suffolk, yet underpins it all. Ipswich’s aim should be to restore its authority, pride and sense of place, and on terms that recognize its actual 21st century locality and future needs. These needs will never be understood or met while under rural Suffolk dominance. #alwaysletdownthecountytown

A classic case of the cart driving the horse, Ipswich has absolutely no reason to celebrate Suffolk.

Suffolk never fails to bypass Ipswich, EXCEPT WHEN it needs to.

As co-founder of Orwell Ahead, I fully understood that the proposals for the Ipswich Northern Route are emotive and affect many people.

This is the very reason why it was so important that residents and stakeholders were enlightened and educated on all aspects; including the wider socioeconomic benefits and that three Suffolk districts and Ipswich Borough have already committed within their Local Plans for 36,000 houses... with no extra highway infrastructure for Ipswich which will sustain many of them.

THE CONSULTATION - ONE WAY TRAFFIC

Sadly, the outcome of the Northern Bypass Consultation has been a farce.

The debate for Suffolk's most important piece of economic infrastructure diminished to little more than the "X Factor", where a straw poll of dots on the map (in favour and against) has trumped all socioeconomic and planning evidence, and needs.

• If this was about winning dots on a map then why were TEN public consultation events held outside Ipswich, with only a single event in it?

• If it were about popularity rather than need, why did those in Ipswich fighting for a single route have to take on those outside Ipswich opposing three routes?

• The prospect of three routes - two phantom routes far from Ipswich - only served to galvanize twenty villages, when only five villages were directly impacted or affected by the inner route that Ipswich and its area needs.

• If it was about "having all Suffolk support the Northern Bypass" as SCC Leader Matthew Hicks has subsequently stated, then quite clearly Ipswich could never hope to win the popularity contest; because as we well know, Ipswich rarely wins any concessions from its Suffolk masters because it is always outnumbered at county and district level. It’s lucky we got any spots on the map in support at all!

NAIL IN THE COFFIN

The outcome of the Northern Bypass Consultation is [as Ipswich Star chorused] much more than a "nail in the coffin" of the scheme, it is the final nail in the coffin of Ipswich as an entity.

It is the stark and final reminder of the alarming - and very damaging - lack of authority, voice, representation and ambition for Ipswich’s economic area, that I have highlighted for many years.

The fact that Suffolk so utterly dominates the former County Borough of Ipswich politically (since the catastrophic Local Government Reform of 1974), the odds were always stacked against Ipswich’s bypass needs.

Equally, we only have ourselves to blame. The most disappointing fact is that every single key Ipswich & Felixstowe institution was

1. actively against: Ipswich Star, Ipswich Society, Dan Poulter (supposed Ipswich North MP), Kesgrave Town Council, Therese Coffey (Suffolk Coastal MP);

2. or missing in action (Ipswich Borough, Greater Ipswich Chamber, Ipswich & Suffolk Business Club, BT, FPUA, Port of Felixstowe, ABP Ipswich, New Anglia LEP).

Only Orwell Ahead came out with any semblance of a campaign or comprehensive argument in favour. Yet every time we looked over our shoulders there was absolutely nothing there. No cavalry.

How many years have we been calling for a business and academic group to champion the Ipswich & Felixstowe area? How many visits, lobbies, and hours spent trying to forge a coalition?

Despite setting up Orwell Ahead in 2015, and our relentless efforts, there is no coalition for this area because none of the Ipswich institutions wants to take a lead, join it, or recognize the bloody obvious.

No one is listening, or acting. #alwaysletdownthecountytown

If Ipswich area’s political and business leaders cannot even form a coalition of support for the most important piece of economic infrastructure needed for the planning obligations of the Borough and three Suffolk Districts, then sadly Ipswich is truly “Suffolkated” and deserves to be.

There is clearly no Suffolk desire to resurrect the corpse from 1974; to properly respect and honour its historic authority or build a fitting legacy upon its illustrious past.

Farewell Ipswich.

Mark Ling, Co-founder Orwell Ahead

Devolution (East Anglia) – open letter from Orwell Ahead CAMPAIGN

Dr Andy Wood, Chief Executive, Adnams plc, 

27th May 2016 

Dear Dr Wood, 

Devolution (East Anglia) – open letter from Orwell Ahead

We are writing to you, as lead negotiator for the Eastern region with the Government on devolution, on behalf of our committee and supporters of Orwell Ahead.  We understand that the deal that will go to councils across the region in late June is to be agreed very shortly, and here we present the views of our membership.

Our non-partisan group has been formed with the aim of highlighting the interdependence and economic importance of the Greater Ipswich area. This is the largest and most important economic area in Suffolk and Norfolk, creating £8bn GVA per annum. It provides employment for 260,000, supporting 20,000 businesses, and it is home to a third of a million people, producing nearly two thirds of Suffolk’s output.

An area of such importance deserves to be permanently backed with proportionate political and economic representation; to have influence and direction, a single voice and focus, plus a clear list of infrastructure and growth objectives with the means to achieve them.

Devolution for East Anglia should represent a great opportunity for our area, but there is also a risk that it will only marginalise Greater Ipswich unless certain criteria are identified that enable it to achieve its full potential. The most important of these criteria is for a guarantee of political and decision-making parity for (a) Ipswich with Norwich and (b) Suffolk with Norfolk under any devolution deal. If the eventual deal includes Cambridgeshire and Greater Peterborough then that parity needs to be extended to also include their two cities.

We have ten key objectives for the Greater Ipswich economic zone, falling into two categories:

Economic and infrastructure representation: To ensure that Greater Ipswich and the Orwell Corridor economic zone has permanent, proportionate and high quality representation on the New Anglia LEP board and its eventual successor following devolution.

Our group was the first to identify and highlight that Greater Ipswich (Orwell Peninsula) had just 1 board member (from 15) located in our economic zone. There were 7 board members located around, or associated to Norwich. At the last election, Greater Norwich secured a £400m investment with a Northern bypass, A11 and A47 upgrades. Ipswich and Felixstowe (with the UK’s premier container port) received £0 for the A14 & A12 in South East Suffolk, and there was not even a feasibility study for a desperately needed Ipswich Orbital (a full Northern Bypass).

We are seeking:

1. After our lobbying, our economic area now has 4 LEP New Anglia Board members. We believe that that our LEP Board representation should never again fall below 30%, or below our zone’s percentage of GVA for Norfolk & Suffolk.

2. There should be a permanent New Anglia LEP board position for the Felixstowe Port Users Association or the Port of Felixstowe. It is essential that the Felixstowe Port community is always represented when infrastructure is at stake.

3. We are urgently calling for a business and academic led member group dedicated to the successful growth of Greater Ipswich & Orwell. Chris Starkie of “Shaping Norfolk’s Future” was able to brilliantly deliver a clear list of objectives upon becoming New Anglia LEP’s Managing Director. Jeremy Newsum and Jane Paterson-Todd have galvanised Cambridge Ahead, providing direction and a single powerful voice for Greater Cambridge. Why should Greater Ipswich have anything less? This should be an absolute priority for the New Anglia LEP.

4. We seek a full and fair feasibility study and New Anglia LEP support for the Greater Ipswich Orbital (Northern Bypass).

Local and Regional Government Representation: To ensure that Greater Ipswich and the Orwell corridor is receiving fair, proportionate and accountable representation at all levels of local & regional government. We are seeking:

1. As part of any Devolution settlement, Ipswich must have permanent and proportionate representation at SCC cabinet (or Committee) level. This should never fall below 33% for Greater Ipswich, recognising Ipswich’s unique county-borough contribution to SCC and the population scope dependent upon Suffolk’s regional centre.

2. Ipswich also needs a fairer deal at District level. If SCDC and Waveney are to merge to form a super-district then any arrangement must include a full review of district boundaries and a fair settlement with Ipswich Borough. Ipswich’s 1835 borough boundary mean that Suffolk’s regional centre is populated with a high proportion of older and lower yielding A&B community charge properties. The town’s success and growth has produced lucrative suburbs, retail and business zones BUT across its outdated boundaries. It is grossly unfair that SCDC & Waveney will simply walk off with the fruits and benefits of Ipswich growth. Adastral Park and the Port of Felixstowe are dependent on Greater Ipswich’s labour force and infrastructure, so they must remain with Ipswich to ensure joined ambition, direction and focus. The three interdependent economic hubs must have joined up thinking and be able to use their joint leverage. This will simply not happen if governance is 40 miles away in Lowestoft.

3. Ipswich Borough Council is already failing to meet its housing targets, compounded by the limitations of its 1835 settlement boundary. Between the years of 2011-2021, the Borough’s ‘Housing Supply Position Statement’, submitted as evidence for its local plan, estimates this shortfall will reach over 3,000 new homes. The Borough has made and continues to make the best use of its limited land, achieving a significant number of homes on brownfield sites. However, it is in desperate need of further strategic sites. This can only be achieved by a radical re-think of district boundaries. Meanwhile, Suffolk Coastal District Council is proposing to put 51% of its housing numbers required in its Local Plan within their ‘Eastern Ipswich Plan Area’, Felixstowe, Walton and the Trimley Villages. This is an area which directly, and heavily, impacts on the Greater Ipswich and Orwell district without contributing properly towards the services and infrastructure it needs. Indeed, this housing will serve the interdependent economic area from Felixstowe through to Ipswich and it is right that should be managed under a single district. Orwell Ahead is pro-growth and believes that with a re-think of district boundaries, this area could deliver ambitious economic growth along with a significant increase in housing numbers, but with the ability to do this in a truly sustainable and comprehensive way, able to plan and deliver the infrastructure improvements that are required to facilitate this growth. The House Builders Federation is the well-respected and leading voice of residential development in the UK, and recently commented on the relationship between IBC, SCDC, Babergh and MSDC, ‘…are not convinced that relying on future cooperation…will prove effective’ and ‘no convincing evidence…that the duty to cooperate has been effective’. Suffolk and the Orwell District need the district boundaries reviewing immediately in order to be able to deliver an ambitious house building programme.

4. We believe that the location of the new Devolved Authority for Suffolk & Norfolk should Be at Ipswich. We have seen how the location of the New Anglia LEP initially skewed incoming investment, and that the administrational jobs benefitted the Greater Norwich area. We believe that it is our turn, and only fair that Suffolk’s regional centre receives this mantle.

5. Regardless of Anglian Devolution we demand that Ipswich has political and decision making parity with Norwich, Cambridge and Peterborough. You simply cannot have a strong East Anglia without a strong Ipswich.

6. Finally, we call for a full reform of local government. Devolution Anglia will mean a convergence of 3 County Councils and 21 District/City/Borough Leaders; 2 LEP boards, 3 Police Crime Commissioners; 12 CCG Health Areas; and around 240 County and 1100 district councillors. With or without an elected Mayor it is simply unworkable, and will only serve to magnify the democratic deficit. We strongly suggest to do it efficiently, fairly and proportionately and promoting democracy for all within East Anglia, as ten equally balanced and represented unitary councils (vis-à-vis Greater Ipswich, Norwich, Cambridge & Peterborough), plus Suffolk East & West, Cambridge North & South, and Norfolk North & South. This would ensure greater accountability, focus and direction for our areas. We also believe that a proposal for East Suffolk (with Lowestoft as administrational HQ), West Suffolk (with Bury St Edmunds as administrational HQ) and Greater Ipswich (with Ipswich as administrational HQ) would spread both political control and accountability more fairly for all in Suffolk, Norfolk & Cambs.

We hope that you will receive this letter in the spirit in which it is sent, and clear desire to ensure that Greater Ipswich receives a fair deal not only from Devolution, but at all levels of local and regional government, and from the New Anglia LEP. Our aims are not radical or revolutionary, but common sense and in the best interest of our area and county.

Yours sincerely

www.OrwellAhead.co.uk

Ipswich Vision actually needs to be a Greater Ipswich Vision

Ben Gummer MP and Dr Dave Muller of Ipswich Chamber of Commerce have called upon Ipswich business leaders to "act as ‘ambassadors’ for Suffolk’s county town" (Ipswich Star 26 May).

Tunnel Vision ?

Orwell Ahead supports the aims of the Ipswich Vision group and we wish it every success. But why the tunnel vision and narrow remit ? 

You simply cannot have an Ipswich Vision that ignores the natural growth of the town. Ipswich is more than its 1835 boundaries, you simply cannot have a joined up policy on planning, housing, retail, town centre development, infrastructure, economic development when your remit stops halfway along Woodbridge Road, Foxhall Road, Felixstowe Road, London Road and Norwich Road. 

Suffolk Coastal District Council represents the biggest single threat to the County Town's retail plan.

Ipswich's retail is both in town and out of town, so you need coordination and joined up thinking. Suffolk Coastal District Council is managing much of Ipswich's retail and is the biggest threat to the town centre, so where are they ?

SCDC, MSDC & Babergh also govern much of the town's lucrative suburbs and business parks, so where are they ? 

BT Martlesham & Port of Felixstowe are some of Ipswich's biggest employers and need to be working closely on any infrastructure bids, so where are they ? 

In the Ipswich Star report Ipswich Chamber of Commerce refers to itself as "Greater Ipswich Chamber", but this is wishful thinking and pointless if they do not have over-arching control for the Orwell peninsula and merge with Felixstowe Chamber to have joined up thinking, and a single direction & ambition. 

Where is Dan Poulter who is responsible for some of Ipswich's most challenged and most blessed areas ? 

Where is Therese Coffey whose constituents at Felixstowe share our workforce, bridge and infrastructure ?

The top priority for New Anglia LEP must be a business and academic led group for Greater Ipswich.

Lastly, Greater Norwich has Shaping Norfolk's Future, Greater Cambridge has Cambridge ahead with joined up thinking and ambition for the 15 miles around their centre, so why should Greater Ipswich have anything less ? This should be an absolute priority for the New Anglia LEP. 

Why Greater Ipswich matters

Suffolk Coastal & Waveney District Council Merger?

Rumours persist that SCDC & Waveney District Council are seeking to merge to form East Suffolk District Council. Should this happen, Ipswich will have no say in the decision, or over the future of the vital economic zone it underpins.

We believe SCDC voters in the Ipswich & Felixstowe peninsula should be allowed to decide if their future is to be “Orwell” or “Deben “focused. Do they wish to remain part of a “Deben”; Woodbridge led and Lowestoft controlled super district, with more rural outlook and needs; with priorities for upgrading the A12 to Sizewell where few in Felixstowe will benefit? Or, would they prefer to be powerful contributors and beneficiaries in a Greater Ipswich council; an A12/A14 easternpower-house, maintaining and growing industrial and historic ties along the Orwell. Whatever the outcome, people in the Felixstowe peninsula should have a real say, and not just blindly accept what SCDC & Waveney impose upon them.

Devolution Suffolk & Norfolk

Devolution for Suffolk & Norfolk can be a great opportunity for our area; but there are alarming risks for Greater Ipswich.  Ipswich entered Suffolk County Council as an equal partner in a three way stake-holding in 1974. But, from a powerful regional centre with complete control over the higher county aspects of local government, Ipswich has endured lengthy spells of having no voice or control at all on the all-powerful cabinet. 

Devolution East Anglia based on existing structures (12 districts, 2 boroughs and 2 county councils) will magnify the impact; risking future economic development and infrastructure for Greater Ipswich; perpetuating a lack of accountability and ambition for our town and the economic zone it sustains.

We believe that there must be a balance of power and representation; balance between the two counties, balance between the rural counties and the two major urban areas of Greater Ipswich & Greater Norwich; and balance between Greater Ipswich & Greater Norwich themselves.  

Our top decision makers for Greater Ipswich and Felixstowe: The Suffolk County Council Cabinet. Not one is located here or is directly accountable to the £7.8b economic zone (two-thirds of Suffolk’s economic output) or its people. #alwaysletdownthecountytown

Who governs Ipswich ?

REVEALED:  the  political vacuum at the heart of our county town

We often hear criticism that “Ipswich’s Council” lacks direction, ambition and objectives. But just WHO is “Ipswich’s Council” and who specifically is responsible for strategic governance over this historic, growing town - for the 250,000 people and £8bn pa economic zone reliant upon it ? We reveal below the current, disjointed and largely unaccountable structure running Ipswich area; to expose why Ipswich has moved from Suffolk’s powerhouse to its poor relation in just 41 years !

In 1974, Ipswich entered Suffolk County Council as a strong, equal partner in a three way stake-holding. Forty years later, Suffolk’s greatest town has gone from total control over county aspects of local government; to lengthy spells with no influence or control at all.

In any context this is undemocratic, damaging and unfair to Ipswich, its citizens & businesses. Devolution East Anglia - based on existing structures - will magnify the impact; risking future economic development and infrastructure for Greater Ipswich & SE Suffolk; and perpetuating the lack of control and accountability over our town.

Only unitary government for our growing urban centre will deliver a fair, permanent and proportionate voice for Greater Ipswich.

Key: ICBC is County Borough of Ipswich (to 1974). SCC is Suffolk County Council; IBC is Ipswich Borough Council; SCDC is Suffolk Coastal District Council; MSDC is Mid Suffolk District Council; LEP is New Anglia LEP. PCC is Suffolk Police Crime Commissioner  

40+ Top Business & Community Leaders show support for our aims & Concerns.

Over 40 [and growing] local business or community leaders have already expressed support or firm interest for our key concerns and aims. Time for you to have a greater say !

Many of you have already expressed comments and support for a single voice and greater political power for our £8bn economic zone.

We want to share your views with interested parties, local and national political leaders, our MPs, and New Anglia LEP.

We invite you to send us your thoughts, opinions, comments, ideas - short or long - via our website.

A greater difference !

Since our campaign launch there have been several encouraging developments; suggesting that a greater voice for/interest in Greater Ipswich does achieve results !

November 9: Dr Tim Whitley, MD for Adastral Park joins New Anglia LEP Board.

November 10. Ipswich Chamber demands better roads and technology for Ipswich, and calls for authorities to look again at Ipswich Orbital/ Northern bypass.

November 2. EADT’s Paul Geater asks “should Ipswich expand boundaries ? Huge responses in favour posted on EADT online site.

October 19. Ipswich Vision Conference. David Ellesmere states Ipswich has to expand administrative boundaries.

However, disappointing that on November 4, county and districts met Lord Heseltine to discuss Devolution for Norfolk and Suffolk, without listening to calls for direct political empowerment for the Greater Ipswich economic zone !

Orwell Ahead says:

"We need to put petty rivalries aside. We have to recognise the historic interdependence and importance of Central Ipswich, Adastral Park, and the Port of Felixstowe. It is within all our interests that the £8bn pa Greater Ipswich and South East Suffolk economic zone is strong, has a single voice and ambition, and that our economic zone has greater say and sway.

And if Devolution Suffolk proceeds then we must have permanent and proportionate representation on the New Anglia LEP and our own direct regional government empowerment too; to protect our economic prosperity and as Suffolk’s counter-balance to Norwich & Cambridge”.

A Tale of Three Cities

"A Tale of Three Cities" – an analysis by Mark Ling

Ipswich versus its two main regional competitors Norwich and Cambridge

Even as champions of Ipswich, we perhaps find it bewildering that a town with so many assets just doesn't enjoy the same feel-good factor as other regional centres. The ingredients are all here, but somehow the recipe for success has been lost. The study of fifty-plus key performance indicators (overleaf) aims to identify disparities, whilst this summary page makes conclusions and what we can do about them.

As a conurbation and centre, Ipswich’s size is equal to Cambridge or Norwich.  All three centres are vital to the prosperity of around 250,000 people who are reliant on these centres to compete at regional and national level to win regional government jobs, public and private sector jobs, investment and infrastructure.

Ipswich has no national prominence, no royal patronage and no city status. Its regional clout is being eroded within Suffolk and constantly attacked by regional competitors that have priceless, status advantages.

Cambridge and Norwich’s historic key industries have survived less effected or intact; they also have prestigious universities, aspects of regional government and regional headquarters jobs as well as burgeoning new industries. Central Ipswich’s industries have been hit hard, but Ipswich’s post war engineering and logistics expertise have been the foundation for new industries coming to Suffolk: technological engineering expertise at BT in Martlesham, whilst our capability in port and transport infrastructure have sustained the Port of Felixstowe.

Ipswich’s significance, skills and workforce attracted and grew these two new dynamic economic hubs. However, Ipswich’s investment now mainly benefits Suffolk County Council and rural Suffolk Coastal District Council. Ipswich loses out on the tax revenues, regional status and presence. Ipswich’s growth fuelled prosperous suburbs with newer, larger C,D&E band properties, producing local tax surplus revenues. Yet, outside our twentieth century boundaries the precious tax surpluses benefit SCDC and Babergh, leaving Ipswich’s coffers ring-fenced and our revenues limited by smaller, older, lower contributing A&B band tax properties.

Loss of its 750-year unitary status in 1974 has cost Ipswich dearly. The current two tier local government means that Ipswich (as a politically diverse urban area) is at odds with generally rural conservative Suffolk. Different needs, different outlook, but with Ipswich firmly a junior partner and “Suffolkated”.  Ipswich has just 13 of 75 Suffolk County Councillors, its voice and power is completely diminished: not a single SCC cabinet member currently resides in Ipswich: happy to rule and collect Ipswich taxes, but no vested interest. There is little distinct focus, direction or ambition for Suffolk’s capital town and powerhouse, rural districts and SCC are happy to benefit from a Greater Ipswich, just not to acknowledge or empower it.

Media for Ipswich is largely controlled from Norwich, which also retains a disproportionate representation level on the all-powerful New Anglia LEP (Local Enterprise Partnership driving Norfolk and Suffolk).  This no doubt provides our principal competitor with direct influence over economic and business strategy, third party investment; along with vital central government spending on roads, rail and infrastructure across our region.

We, the citizens, politicians & business folk of Ipswich have allowed the prize asset – our town – to become a junior and subordinate partner in our region, in local government, in media and in our business forums. I believe that we need to collectively strive to achieve the following goals if we are to turn around the fortunes of our town:

We must demand equal representation for Ipswich (and Suffolk) on the New Anglia LEP.

1. Our business community must promote a “Greater Ipswich” GVA (Gross Value Added or size of our economy) as our key selling point. Were “Greater Ipswich” to be an entity, our GVA would eclipse Greater Norwich (Norwich plus Broadland) and Cambridge and Peterborough. We would have the greatest “city” economy in East Anglia! The Greater Ipswich area would (in any other circumstance) be deemed a major economic area, a beacon and a success. Furthermore, it should be heralded and aggressively promoted as such. This is the supreme selling point to attract new business and government investment, to promote Ipswich and benefit Suffolk.

2. Our politicians and businesses must lobby for improved and fairer media coverage, and take greater care over how our town is projected.

3. We must all lobby for local government reform to consummate and promote “Greater Ipswich” - ideally as a unitary authority. Local business and New Anglia LEP should recommend that Ipswich should be backed fully in future bids for city status, and that our town should eventually return to having two dedicated MPs with a sole focused on urban Greater Ipswich.

4. Bringing Greater Ipswich together as an economic and political entity would allow us to out-muscle our competitors, creating a heavyweight champion to be proud of. It will be a turning point, a renaissance for the town, to gain even more investment for Ipswich and for the county beyond.

A Tale of Three Cities.