Chamber News

Review of Local Government in Suffolk

The boundary commission are in the process of reviewing local government in Suffolk. They published their proposal on July 8th. Essentially, they recommend a Greater Ipswich comprising Ipswich and Felixstowe, Lowestoft transferring to Norfolk, and a single council for the rest of Suffolk. The Chamber expect to submit our views to the Commission; we are inviting views from members. See details here

Tesco Section 106 Monies

Under Section 106 of the Town Planning Act, Tesco have to pay a substantial sum to help the town centre. We are anxious hear the views of Chamber members as to how this money can best be spent.

Web Site Improvements

Members can now add a logo or photograph to their entry on the Chamber web site. The cost is £10 and £15 a year respectively.

Transport and the Western By Pass

Peter Grimm of Suffolk County Council addressed the Chamber in July 2007 and gave us an update on traffic plans in town. In particular, he explained the state of the western relief road. As most of us are aware, Suffolk County Council put the case for a relief road to the government some years ago, and the application was rejected. The County Council has been working behind the scenes and is continuing to work on the scheme. However, road schemes are now funded regionally, and the Eastern region has seriously restricted funds.

On September 6th, Peter organised a tour round Sudbury for members of the Council's Roads and Scrutiny Committee. John McMillan took part in this tour, as did the Mayor, Town Clerk and officers of Suffolk and Babergh councils. Peter took the party through the Market Hill, down Cross Street and through Church Street and back through the Market Hill and King Street. The party then proceeded to the Kingfisher and along the Valley Walk to Rodbridge.

The tour was a great success. The county councillors all realised just how serious a problem we have. Speaking to the East Anglian Daily Times, one described the situation in Sudbury as abysmal and said there is a desparate need for a bypass. There are still many obstacles to overcome, Essex and Braintree councils have to be presuaded to drop their opposition to the road, the government may have to balance concerns for wildlife against the residents, and funding still has to be obtained. But the situation is more hopeful than for many years.

Market Towns Partnership and Retail Development

Tom McConnell has worked to promote a new retail development on the bus station site. Both Babergh District Council and Sudbury Town Council have committed to this project and have employed Tom to progress it. A large meeting was held at Babergh offices last Spring. This was attended by Babergh officers, Tom McConnel, and representatives of Sudbury Town Council, the Sudbury Society and Suffolk Preservation Society. John McMillan and Laurence Wilshire represented the Chamber, and Robin Drury was also there. The meeting discussed the planning implications and agreed a strategy to take the project forward.

McCarthy and Stone, who own part of the site, submitted a planning application to build old peoples' flats on that part of the site. The application was refused and McCarthy and Stone lodged an appeal. That took place in October. John McMillan and Graham Wing both spent three days presenting the Chamber's case. We succeeded and the appeal was rejected. We continue to press Babergh to make sure the site is developed in Sudbury's best interest.

Business Lunches

We meet on the second Wednesday of every month at the Quay Theatre. The cost is low, there is always a speaker on a topic of some interest and it is a great way to network and meet other businessmen. Click here for the programme.

The Web Site

The web site goes from strength to strength, with up to 4000 visitors a month. We now allow members to advertise on the site. Contact Michael Heyland for details.