On 12th September, I wrote to Cllr. Matthew Hicks, Leader of Suffolk County Council, regarding ongoing transport issues in Suffolk.
My letter followed the latest closure of the Orwell Bridge, which caused severe disruption for local people and businesses in Ipswich. My letter proposed short-term mitigation measures whilst the bridge undergoes emergency repairs, asking Suffolk County Council to review and postpone all non-emergency roadworks in Ipswich, to ease the flow of traffic through the town.
I also asked Mr Hicks to re-constitute the Ipswich Transportation Taskforce, which has not met since 2023. Re-constituting the Taskforce would give local politicians the chance to work with local stakeholders and residents with a view to delivering important strategic transport priorities in Ipswich.
In my letter, I outlined how I had “been contacted by numerous constituents and local businesses who have been affected by the closure of one lane of the Orwell Bridge, which is harming our local economy and causing chaos in our town.”
I also added that “Now is also the right time for the Ipswich Transportation Taskforce to be reinstated. A reinvigorated taskforce would have the ability to bring together stakeholders, consult the public and make recommendations to Suffolk County Council and other decision-making bodies about strategic transport priorities in the area, including, but not limited to, the potential of a bypass north of the town.
“I look forward to working with Suffolk County Council and local stakeholders to address these ongoing problems, which cannot keep grinding our town to a halt.”
My full letter to Cllr. Hicks can be viewed here.
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