Best wishes, Guy.

14 JULY 2011

1. A14/A12 Copdock and Dock Spur Roundabout improvements

On the 24 May the Highways Agency’s contractor Volker Fitzpatrick commenced work on proposed modifications to the A14/A12 Copdock Interchange and A14 Dock Spur Roundabout at Felixstowe as part of the Section 278 Agreement associated with the Felixstowe South Reconfiguration development at the Port of Felixstowe.

Both junctions are subject to speed limits and lane restrictions that have resulted in additional queuing, particularly at Copdock Interchange.

While accepting that Copdock Interchange is busy during peak periods and that in any event major works are likely to result in increased congestion, Suffolk County Council has been working closely with the Police and the contractor to ensure that measures are put in place to help reduce the overall impact.

There is an ongoing and significant risk that increased congestion and delays at this interchange will lead to traffic diverting off the trunk road onto local roads and directly affecting local communities.

I have asked Suffolk County Council officers to monitor the situation and to work closely with the Highways Agency, the Police and contractor to minimise the impact during the period of these works.

The local Member has been kept informed.

1. Essex and Suffolk Water works in Lowestoft

Further to my previous report, liaison between Suffolk County Council officers and representatives of Essex and Suffolk Water continues to be excellent and appropriate procedures have been put in place to minimise the potential impact of the works and hence reduce the overall disruption within Lowestoft, taking into account emergencies, other planned works in the area and planned events (e.g. the Lowestoft Seafront Air Festival).

The water company commenced work on replacing the lead connection pipes on the 22 February 2011, and it is expected to take up to 9 months to complete the project. The initial phases were on local residential streets and the water company has worked closely with the residents directly affected.

Suffolk County Council’s main interest is the impact of the works on the travelling public in the context of the Traffic Management Act. In this respect the proposed works are expected to directly affect important local traffic routes within Lowestoft, including Waveney Drive (B1531), London Road South (B1532), Marine Parade (B1532), Kirkley Run and Carlton Road. Essex. With this in mind, Suffolk Water has been asked to let Beach Radio know when works are planned to be carried out on these key routes so appropriate bulletins could be issued to warn drivers that works are being undertaken and that this may result in delays.

The water company has also been advised to keep local councillors and key stakeholders fully informed throughout the period of the works. This includes the bus companies and Lowestoft and Waveney Chamber of Commerce.

Relevant Suffolk County and Waveney District Councillors together with key stakeholders, including local bus operators and the Lowestoft and Waveney Chamber of Commerce have been sent copies of a letter/leaflet prepared by Essex and Suffolk Water.  They have been advised that the Water Company is responsible for this project and should be the first point of contact for all enquiries relating to these works, including further information and advice. The appropriate customer assistance line is 08457 820999.

1. emergency sewer repairs Tom Crisp Way, Lowestoft

Concern has been expressed by Peter Aldous MP and others about the sewer repairs being carried out by Anglian Water in Tom Crisp Way in Lowestoft and in particular the potential impact of these works on the tourist season.

Tom Crisp Way forms part of the A12 and is both an important traffic route and gateway to Lowestoft.

Anglian Water initially undertook this work to deal with an emergency, but unfortunately this has taken much longer than expected due in part to a number of additional problems they have encountered. In reality this has been a challenging situation for the contractor.

Suffolk County Council officers are continuing to work closely with representatives of Anglian Water and their contractors to minimise the impact and disruption to local traffic movements.

The latest advice from Anglian Water at the time of writing this report, indicates that the work will be completed before the end of June. In any event, Anglian Water has been advised that at the latest, they need to be off site by the end of the second week in July, i.e. before the school holiday period begins.

A further concern is the potential conflict with planned work being carried out by Essex and Suffolk Water to replace lead connection pipes in the Kirkley area, particularly when this affects important local traffic routes.

1. ARCHAEOLOGY SERVICE

I am pleased to report that the Archaeological Service has been successful in a bid, with other interested partners, to the Interreg IVA/2 Seas European Fund for a World War 2 project.

The general objective of the project is to create a lasting memory of the heritage of the Second World War by maintaining, preserving and/or reusing the heritage which remains for education and tourism.

Specific aims of the project are to:

• Research, restore and make accessible both tangible and intangible WW2 heritage in each of the partner countries;
• Develop strong tourism products to encourage international tourism and boost local economies.

This will involve:

• oral history-building on the Suffolk Record Office’s work;
• managing and making accessible monuments of the period;
• interpretation (we plan 10 panels for Suffolk), exhibitions, audio guides and materials for schools;
• tourist trails and marketing;
• website, leaflets, seminars, explorer information via mobile phones, GIS applications.

Our project partners are Zeeland (lead); West Flanders; Municipitalities of Middelburg and Vlissingen; Zeews Maritime Museum; Syndicat Mixte de la Cote d’Opale; Ville de Leffrinkoucke; UEA, and Essex County Council.

The project will run from July 2011 to 2014 with the opening Conference at UCS on the Waterfront in Ipswich.

The budget for Suffolk is £182,000 over the three years with us finding a 50% contribution. However, as officer time counts as a cost and contribution, it should be cost neutral to Suffolk County Council and Suffolk will benefit from the educational and tourist investment and the management of some of its WW2 monuments

1. rights of way

I am pleased to report the Ipswich Docks Working Group, comprising Suffolk County Council and Ipswich Borough Council officers, County Councillors, and chaired by Councillor Carol Debman, held its first meeting on 12 April. The main outcomes were:

• To look in more detail at the current access arrangements and existing traffic management schemes in operation around the waterfront;
• To advise local stakeholders of the ongoing work of the Group;
• To consider what action to take on the current obstructions affecting the newly recorded Rights of Way and any unlawful use of, and parking by, public motor vehicles on parts of Restricted Byway 36;
• To reposition the current hoarding at the Regatta Quay development (Albion Wharf) in order to reduce the current user conflict caused by the restricted width at this location;
• To reposition the above hoarding in time for the Skyride; Never Ending Mural project and Ipswich Maritime Festival events.

The Group’s next meeting is scheduled for 13 June.

I was very pleased to attend the Hoxne Walk on Wednesday, 25 May and help launch ‘Treasured Suffolk’, a joint project between Suffolk County Council Rights of Way and Archaeology.

The Hoxne Walk was one of 31 walks in this year’s South and Heart of Suffolk Walking Festival. The festival is organised by Suffolk County Council’s Countryside Access Development team and Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Councils’ Tourism Officers. The festival, now in its fourth year, promotes access to the countryside, encouraging healthy activity, raising awareness of rural areas and stimulating the rural economy.

The Hoxne Walk attracted over 40 people, including people holidaying in Suffolk, some of whom had come specifically for the event.

The Treasured Suffolk project will produce 6 walking leaflets based on archaeological finds in Suffolk. These will be produced over the course of this year and promoted through the Discover Suffolk website, Suffolk County Council’s strategic website promoting countryside access and activities

1. PASSENGER TRANSPORT

As outlined in my last report, there were considerable changes to the sponsored bus network and we continue to deal with issues as they arise in an attempt to meet the needs of residents. Some solutions were relatively easy to put in place; others may take some time to resolve.

Demand Responsive Transport (DRT), has played a large part in ensuring continued access to services and the recent rebranding of two services as Suffolk Links Brett and Suffolk Links Pathfinder, together with the forthcoming launch of a new DRT service in the Hoxne area, underpins our commitment to providing transport that is suitable to and that meets the needs of residents.

The impact of rising costs in the transport industry, together with the reduced revenue available to companies, has been demonstrated by the recent collapse of Yellow Star Travel Services; better known to residents of West Suffolk as Burtons of Haverhill. Officers from the department routinely monitor contract delivery and concerns had been raised about the quality of service being delivered. The reputation of the company and possibly Suffolk County Council were potentially being tarnished.  Consequently officers contacted the Traffic Commissioner to express their concerns. These concerns proved to be well founded, when within days, the company called in the administrator and ceased to trade. A buyer was found for the bus business and we successfully ensured that the contracts were transferred to Stephenson’s of Essex, the new owner of the company. This company has been honest and open in saying that it will take some months to replace all the buses and bring the standards up to a level that they set for themselves. We will continue to work with them to ensure that the public are provided with the service that is required. We cannot discount the risk to other operators brought about by the wider economic environment.

1. rail issues

Since my last report, I met with representatives of the 3 short-listed bidders for the Greater Anglia rail franchise.  The representatives were from Go-Ahead, Stagecoach and Abellio (the last is a subsidiary of the Dutch Railways).

The points discussed were:

• New intercity quality trains for the Ipswich to London main line, complete with catering;
• Improvements on East Suffolk line.  Suffolk has made substantial investment in the rail network, including a commitment to £1m towards Beccles loop.  Beccles station and surrounds require bringing up to standard by the time the hourly Ipswich to Lowestoft service starts in December 2012;
• Station Investment Plan and completed works at extended car parks at Melton and Wickham Market stations in partnership with Suffolk Coastal District Council and interchange improvement at Halesworth station also demonstrate the commitment of Suffolk to the local rail network;
• Inadequate staffing of stations.  There is a vacancy at Lowestoft station and the current level of staffing is inadequate for customer needs.  There needs to be more visibility of staff at Ipswich station.
• Hourly service between Ipswich and Peterborough needed;
• Reopening to passenger trains of Leiston branch;
• Community Rail Partnerships;
• Cycle storage at Stations.

Whilst the bidders would have little scope for investment and improvements if they were successful in winning the short 17 month franchise, due to start on 5 February 2012, they were interested in discussing issues for their bids for the 15 year franchise to follow starting in 2013.

We have worked successfully with colleagues at Suffolk Coastal District Council, Network Rail and National Express East Anglia, to create two car parks for rail passengers, one at Campsea Ashe and the other at Melton.

There were ongoing safety issues at Campsea Ashe due to the lack of parking facilities for rail users; many cars were obstructing paths and causing safety issues on the highway.  The land adjacent to the station house is owned by Suffolk County Council and has been unused for several years, by allowing the development of this land into a car park, all issues have been eradicated and the car park is well used.

Melton Station only had 4 parking spaces for rail use, but a large area (formerly the coal yard) which would be a suitable parking area for rail users.  Working in partnership with Suffolk Coastal District Council, Network Rail and National Express East Anglia we have transformed the disused land into a well used car park.

Both of these developments have provided further choice for the community to utilise public transport

I am also pleased to note that the Ipswich Station lifts and new footbridge and have been brought into use.  I pressed hard to raise the priority of Ipswich within the Department for Transport’s ‘Access for All’ Programme and to overcome delays in the design and approvals process for the project.  Unfortunately Suffolk County Council was not represented at the official opening of the new bridge as no invitation to attend the proceedings was sent to us by Network Rail.

1. SUFFOLK LOCAL TRANSPORT PLAN

The Suffolk Local Transport Plan, adopted by County Council on 26 May, identifies the urban areas most likely to be affected by economic growth and where transport funding should be focussed. These places are: Beccles; Brandon; Bungay; Bury St Edmunds; Felixstowe; Haverhill; Ipswich; Lowestoft; Newmarket;  Stowmarket and Sudbury.

The broad approach being taken in the towns is based on three common elements:

• the need to reduce demand for car travel for local journeys to avoid increased congestion;
• improving infrastructure to make it easier for people to travel without the car; and
• better traffic management to get more efficiency from the existing network.

Cabinet has agreed an indicative level of investment for each town and officers have developed outline plans for the long term development of the transport networks to accommodate likely future growth to 2031. We now need to identify the priority schemes in each town for the 4 year funding period 2011 to 2015.

I will be meeting with County Councillors and local groups in all of the key towns to agree schemes that are consistent with the principles outlined above, can noticeably improve the town and that also reflect locally important issues.

26 MAY 2011

1. Regional Transport Forum

On the 11 March 2011, I attended the Regional Transport Forum (RTF). The Forum received reports and presentations on:

• The future arrangements for the Regional Transport Forum and revised terms of reference;

• The new arrangements at the Department of Transport (DfT) for regional engagement following closure of the Government Office Network on 31 March 2011.  DfT advised that to ensure continuing engagement with local authorities, three new sub-national Transport Hub Teams had been set up, including a South East and East Hub team based at Great Minster House in London. These teams will be the first point of contact for all transport related queries and their role will include working with Local Transport Authorities to provide advice, support and guidance as necessary;

• The Local Sustainable Transport Fund and updated guidance and advice on the application process and procedures;

• The Department for Transport’s Road Network Policy Consultation, which sets out proposed arrangements for devolving the responsibility on the classification of local roads to local authorities.

• A draft final report prepared by Regional Cities East on “Shared Activities in Local Authority Services in the East or England: Report and Case Studies”. These included examples of good practice across the region and opportunities and actions to develop shared activities aimed at meeting the key objectives of efficiency, performance, resilience and delivering sustainable growth.

• The following reports were presented for information:

a)      Budget Statement; and

b)      Major schemes, which confirmed DfT funding for Ipswich Fit for the 21st Century.

1. Trans-European Transport Network Annual Work Programme

I am pleased to note that, with the active support of Suffolk County Council and the Regional Transport Forum, the European Commission recently announced that proposals put forward by Felixstowe Dock and Railway Company on behalf of Hutchison Ports to develop a new North Rail Terminal at the Port of Felixstowe had been provisionally awarded €5,000,000 from trans-European transport network (TEN-T) funds.

This decision should be seen in the context of the EU strategy to improve the capacity of both the rail and road networks within Priority Axis 26 (Railway/Road Axis Republic of Ireland/United Kingdom/Europe) in order to cope with the development in traffic (which includes an increase in the capacity at the Port of Felixstowe) and to further improve links with the rest of the EU. This includes modernising the Felixstowe-Nuneaton railway line, which in turn will increase the current capacity of west-east freight movements across the United Kingdom.

The provision of this new North Rail Terminal at the Port of Felixstowe will improve the efficiency and capacity of a major inter-modal freight transfer station and remove a bottleneck on one of the TEN-T priority corridors.

Final confirmation of the grant is expected in June.

It is also pleasing to note that an award of €4,994,333 was also made to the Nuneaton North Chord and Kennett re-signalling works, also on the Felixstowe – Nuneaton route.

1. A12 Alliance

The A12 Alliance met on the 14 March 2011 and received reports and presentations on:

• The performance of the A12 police patrols, including details of casualties, nature of incidents and proposals to restructure the patrols. These patrols were initially introduced in 2009 with the stated aims of reducing congestion, reducing all classes of road traffic collision, improving confidence in those travelling on the A12, managing incidents in a timely, effective and ‘joined up’ manner and challenging and changing public attitudes and perceptions of safety. The overall response from key stakeholders, including business representatives, on the impact of these patrols has been positive;

• The programme to complete improvements to the M25 between junction 27 (M11) and junction 30 (A13) and related congestion problems at Junction 28 (A12/Brook Street interchange). The Highways Agency and contractor advised that since initial teething problems the introduction of better traffic management and other measures had improved operation at the interchange, which in turn had reduced the levels of congestion, particularly on the A12 southbound approach to this interchange. They were also able to confirm that all works, including the gantry signs and communications, will be completed well in advance of the Olympics;

• A proposed meeting with Mike Penning MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport, with Essex/Suffolk Cabinet Members, senior officers and business representatives to discuss the importance of investment in the A12. An initial meeting with DfT officials has been arranged for late May;

• An update from the Highway Agency on A12 trunk road works.

1. MEETING WITH ESSEX COUNTY COUNCIL PORTFOLIO HOLDER

I met Councillor Norman Hume the Cabinet Member for Highways and Transportation at Essex County Council on the 13 April to discuss cross boundary and other issues of common interest and importance to both authorities.

Topics discussed included:

• The A12 Alliance and action item agreed at the meeting on the 22 November 2010, for Essex and Suffolk Cabinet Members to meet with Mike Penning MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport, to further stress the importance of the A12.  An initial officer meeting with DfT has been arranged on 27 May 2011;

• Issues relating to Sudbury, including the Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) identified in Cross Street, potential actions to address this problem, HGV movements and routeing, impact of the recently completed A12 interchange at Colchester (junction 28) and current position regarding the proposed Northern Approaches Road Stage 3 scheme which will connect the A12 interchange to the A134;

• Rail Issues including Great Eastern Mainline Franchise;

• Various issues relating to the Traffic Management Act, including options to develop a common permit scheme to work on the highway, the response from Mike Penning MP re concerns in Suffolk about the diversion of trunk road traffic onto local roads and current position on the East of England Transport Information Project; and

• National and Regional Issues, including the DfT Road Network Classification Consultation.

1. A12 Hughes Corner

The Highways Agency recently advised that they “are not in a position to progress any further work on this section of the A12, but will continue to monitor the safety performance of the junction, as we do with all sections of the network”.

This is particularly disappointing given the high volume and speed of trunk road traffic that uses this substandard section of A12 and the past accident record, which includes two fatal accidents.

Nevertheless, Mike Penning MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport, has indicated in a letter to Peter Aldous MP that his “officials and the Highways Agency will continue to liaise with the local authorities —through the A12 Alliance — in relation to maintenance and small scale improvements for the A12”.

In my view there is a high risk of further accidents occurring on the A12 at this location and with this in mind I will continue to press the Minister, DfT and the Highways Agency to carry out urgent improvements.

1. TRUNK ROAD DIVERSION ROUTES

In my report to County Council on the 2 December 2010, I referred in item 8 to a meeting involving representatives of local communities throughout Suffolk, neighbouring authorities, and key stakeholders to receive a report from the Highways Agency on their proposals for dealing with traffic diverted off the trunk road network in the event of an incident/emergency.

At the end of the meeting the Councillors present agreed that:

• The County Council would confirm it’s position on completing the signing of Emergency Diversion Routes in Suffolk;

• A letter be sent to Phillip Hammond MP, the Secretary of State for Transport, setting out the concerns expressed by elected representatives, which I subsequently actioned on the 11 January; and

• The County Council would contact BBC Radio Suffolk to clarify how, what and when information is received from the Highways Agency, in particular from the National Traffic Control Centre. I subsequently attended a meeting with Peter Cook, the Editor of Radio Suffolk, on the 11 February.

I have since received a response from Mike Penning MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport and the Minister responsible for the strategic road network. In recognising the important issues raised by the elected representatives in Suffolk, the Minister was able to say that:

• On the matter of planned works, all diversions require the County Council’s permission. The Agency does everything it can to keep traffic on the trunk road during planned works and local roads are only used as a last resort.

• The Agency continually monitors the performance of the strategic road network and this includes the provision of additional crossovers in the central reservation where needed. They are often provided as part of major maintenance schemes to allow for contraflow working and, on the A14, are being provided as part of the major Orwell Bridge Bearing Replacement scheme currently taking place.

• As far as the East of England Transport Information Project is concerned, the Department welcomes proposals which seek to make best use of the existing network at a lower cost, especially in the current financial climate. Both the Department and the Agency are continuing to work with Professor Landshoff on this Project.

With the above in mind, the County Council has advised the Highways Agency that it would expect the Agency to do everything it can to keep traffic on the trunk road during planned works and to use local roads as a last resort and that it is unlikely that the County Council will approve use of local diversion routes unless there is a strong and compelling case, which includes evidence showing options that keep trunk road traffic on the trunk road network.

In circumstances where the County Council is minded to approve use of a local diversion route the County Council will want to know the response from community representatives along the diversion route (in particular the Town/Parish Councils) and the relevant County Councillor(s) and agree mitigation measures before it gives formal agreement to the use of local diversion routes.

Following my meeting with the Editor of BBC Radio Suffolk on 11 February, the County Council provided the radio station with details of the trunk road network in Suffolk, including links to Highways Agency website and relevant contact numbers/addresses.

1. A14/A12 Copdock and Dock Spur Roundabout improvements

I have been advised that the contract for the above works, which relate specifically to the Felixstowe South Reconfiguration development and associated Section 278 agreement, was recently awarded to Volker Fitzpatrick contractors by the Highways Agency.

The main works are expected to start in late May.

Recognising the sensitive local issues in the Trimley area and in the vicinity of Copdock Interchange, including Sproughton, the County Council has stressed the need for the Highways Agency and their consultants/contractors:

• To consult with local community representatives (in particular County Councillors and Town/Parish Councils) and key stakeholders likely to be affected and where appropriate and necessary to justify why trunk road traffic will be diverted onto local roads and to agree a package of mitigation measures;

• To agree the dates that specific closures and diversions will be in place as a matter of urgency. This should be based on the principle that diverting trunk road traffic onto local roads in connection with planned works should only be undertaken as a last resort;

• To establish and maintain a positive and proactive system of communication with local community representatives and key stakeholders; and

• To establish and maintain a web site where local residents, businesses and others can access up to date information on progress in implementing these works.

1. National Grid Gas Works Bury St Edmunds

On 13 April 2011, I attended a meeting with local Councillors and key stakeholders in Bury St Edmunds at which National Grid presented their plans to carry out major gas works within Bury St Edmunds to replace existing cast iron and ductile mains requiring all commercial and residential properties supplies to be switched.

I was able to stress the role and responsibility of the County Council in discharging its duty under the Traffic Management Act together with the importance of communication and the views of the local community.

The current phase of these works, which will extend up to early 2012 and involves substantial excavation affecting roads and footways, is expected to have a significant impact on the town and in particular on local businesses and residents.

The County Council will continue to work with National Grid and the local community to manage and minimise the impact of these works and ensure that the communities affected are kept fully informed.

1. Essex and Suffolk Water works in Lowestoft

The Essex and Suffolk Water company is planning to renew around 2000 lead service supply pipes to individual properties in the Kirkley area within Lowestoft and as part of this process the company arranged a stakeholder meeting on the 19 May 2011.

The County Council has highlighted:

• The need to send invitations to a wide range of community representatives, in particular local Councillors, and key stakeholders;

• The role and responsibilities of the County and District Councils, including coordinating works and minimising potential conflict with planned events;

• the role of Essex and Suffolk Water as the main point of contact for all information relating to the works in Lowestoft; and

• the need for Essex and Suffolk Water to maintain a positive and proactive system of communication with the local community, their representatives and key stakeholders and others outside of Lowestoft that may be affected by the works.

1. REVIEW OF Local Radio

Staff at the BBC’s 40 local radio stations were recently briefed on plans to review local radio.

Options being considered include reducing local radio programming to just breakfast and drivetime shows, replacing everything else with content from Radio 5 Live. Concern has been expressed that this may result in the possible closure or merging of some local radio stations and also pooling breakfast and drivetime programmes into bigger regions.

In my view, BBC Radio Suffolk provides a valuable service in keeping local communities in Suffolk informed on issues relevant to the County Council. This includes travel information and disruption caused by weather conditions and also incidents and accidents. My recent meeting with Peter Cook, Managing Editor BBC Radio Suffolk, confirmed the crucial role local radio plays in informing drivers of incidents and accidents on the road network.

The County Council raised this issue at both the Regional Transport Forum (RTF) on the 11 March 2011 and A12 Alliance on the 14 March 2011. The RTF secretariat was tasked to send a letter to the BBC requesting that key stakeholders, including RTF and individual Local Highway Authorities are consulted on their plans. Business representatives at the recent A12 Alliance meeting also expressed concern about the potential impact of the proposed changes to local radio.

1. Rail Franchise

On Tuesday 2 April 2011, the Government set out the level of service it expects from companies bidding to run rail services in Greater Anglia, following publication of the invitation to tender document for the short 17-month franchise the same day.

The new operator will take over from February 2012 and would be responsible for delivering services to destinations from London to Suffolk and across Greater Anglia until at least July 2013.

The invitation to tender has been sent by the DfT to the three short listed companies, these are:

• Abellio Greater Anglia Limited (NV Nederlandse Spoorwegen)
• Eastern Railway Limited (Go-Ahead Group PLC)
• Stagecoach Anglia Trains Limited (Stagecoach Group plc)

As one of the rail franchises serving Stratford and the Olympic stadium the new operator will be responsible for introducing longer and more frequent trains during the London 2012 Olympic Games.

The Greater Anglia franchise will commence on 5 February 2012 and will run for 17 months (expiring in July 2013) with an option to extend by up to 1 year. As part of the bidding process each of the bidders will also need to set out how they intend to improve passenger satisfaction in the service they would provide.

The Government plans to reform rail franchising and to lengthen rail franchises to around 15 years. This shorter franchise will allow time for reforms identified by Sir Roy McNulty’s review of the rail industry’s value for money to be properly considered and built into the terms of the subsequent Greater Anglia franchise.

The Government expects to announce the successful bidders for the Greater Anglia during Autumn 2011.

On 27 April the DfT published the Greater Anglia Franchise ITT for the short 17 month franchise and sent to the 3 short listed bidders.  The good news is that the hourly service to Lowestoft after Beccles loop is completed is included in the ITT.

The Greater Anglia Rail Franchise ITT includes the following:

Bidders should note that no major changes to the current service specification are planned for the duration of this contract, but the existing Ipswich to Saxmundham services will be extended through to Lowestoft when Network Rail has completed work to provide a passing loop at Beccles (target date: December 2012 timetable change). Otherwise Bidders will be required to operate the timetable that is inherited at the start of the contract and to fulfil the role of Timetable Participant as defined in Part D of the Network Code. This will include the submission to Network Rail of the Access proposal for the December 2013 timetable on the Priority Date in February 2013.

A Service Level Commitment will apply. Effectively this limits the changes that can be made to the timetable to those non-material changes which arise from the industry planning process and any changes which are either directed or agreed to by the Department.

1. ARCHAEOLOGICAL SERVICE

The Archaeological Service had a very successful 2010/11.  Despite the recession, the contracting service had a record turnover and exceeded their income targets, allowing some of the bad debt caused by clients going into liquidation to be written off.

Recent work has included some interesting finds. An excavation at RAF Lakenheath, in advance of the construction of a new gym, has revealed a small Roman building sited within a ditched enclosure.  The building is unusual in that it appears to be circular with two entrances and walls made up of closely spaced stakes.  It may have had a religious function of some sort, maybe a shrine.

On 8 May 2011, staff from the Archaeological Service were at the South Suffolk Show, where they displayed the work of the service, provided activities for children, and identified finds brought in by the public.  There were also real archaeological objects from Suffolk available for handling and a series of short talks ran throughout the day about human bone, Roman coins and metal detecting.

On Wednesday 25 May 2011, I will announce the launch of Treasured Suffolk in Hoxne, which is just one of 31 walks planned as part of this year’s South and Heart of Suffolk Walking Festival. The Hoxne walk is entitled ‘Treasures and Murder’ and will pass the many historic sites in the parish including the famous Hoxne hoard site The launch day will have archaeological service staff in attendance and will include a temporary exhibition of recent archaeological finds and photographs in Hoxne church, including high status Anglo-Saxon objects, which are now in the ownership of the County Council.

Treasured Suffolk is a joint project between Creating the Greenest County, Countryside Access and Archaeology to promote lesser known and visited areas of Suffolk’s countryside. Each walk takes in countryside access on public rights of way or other passable routes.

1. SIZEWELL

There has clearly been a pause for reflection at the national level on the lessons that the Fukushima event might have for the nuclear industry in this country.  Mike Weightman has been asked by the Government to look into this and in response to a consultation on the scope of this inquiry, we have said that one of the lessons is that back-up safety systems need to be given adequate protection from catastrophic events and that the residents of this area would wish to be assured that both the present plant and any future plant have taken this into account in their design and operation. The initial results of this inquiry are expected in mid-May and the full results by mid-September.

Clearly the circumstances at Sizewell are different in many ways from that in Japan and we see no reason to expect that there will be a significant delay in proposals for Sizewell C coming forward. The most recent information that we have from EDF Energy is that they hope to start the first stage of public consultation on this before the end of the year. In the meantime, EDF is continuing to talk to officers of the county and district councils on the information and surveys that will be needed before the application can be submitted.

1. POWER TRANSMISSION LINES

National Grid is likely to make clear its preference for the route for additional power lines in south Suffolk shortly. The County Council has consistently made the point that a wider range of alternatives should be considered, including the opportunity for offshore cables incorporating the latest high voltage direct current technology. As I reported previously to the Council, we organised a successful National Symposium on the subject in January. The full proceedings of this event have now been published – and they are on the Suffolk County Council website, if councillors wish to see them.  We used the conclusions of the symposium as the basis for our case when I led a delegation to meet the Minister of State responsible for power lines, Charles Hendry, in March. We now look to the Government to respond by taking greater account of the environmental consequences of power lines in all of the decision making processes for new schemes.

We are aware of two other power transmission line schemes, both linking offshore windfarms to the Grid and both likely to be mainly underground – these are the links from the Galloper windfarm to Sizewell and that from the first phase of the major array off the Suffolk/Norfolk coast into Bramford. Officers are working with developers on both schemes to begin to assess the environmental impact

1. LoCAL FLood Risk MANAGEMENT

Further aspects of the Flood and Water Management Act 2010 were implemented on 1 April 2011, giving the County Council lead responsibility for managing local flood risk from surface, ground and ordinary water courses.  We now have a duty to investigate serious flooding incidents and keep a register of assets that are critical to local flood risk management.  This work will be undertaken with the Suffolk Flood Risk Management Partnership and will largely be paid for by government grant to the County Council.

The major aspect of the Flood and Water Management Act still to be implemented, relates to the County Council’s duty to approve drainage systems prior to any development and adopt sustainable drainage systems.  The Council is now preparing itself for this duty, which is expected to commence in 2012.

We have recently prepared a Preliminary Flood Risk Assessment report as required under the Flood Risk Regulations 2009.  Due to the criteria set by Government there are no areas in Suffolk that are defined as nationally significant flood risk areas (considering flooding from surface, ground and ordinary water courses).   However, there are a number of areas that the Partnership has defined as of local significance, and we will now begin to prepare a local flood strategy that will set out the Partnership’s approach to dealing with these risks.  This work will take place over the next twelve months, prior to a public consultation.

1. regional flood and coastal committee

In April, as another consequence of the Flood and Water Management Act, the Regional Flood Defence Committee became the Regional Flood and Coastal Committee.  The existing committee members put forward suggestions about representation on the new committee, which will become fully functional later this year.  The new committee has an expanded remit to cover coastal erosion and surface water flooding as well as flood defence, and will play an increasingly important role in managing spending on all aspects of flood and coastal management.  I am hoping to remain an active member of the new committee.

1. SUFFOLK SAFETY CAMERA PARTNERSHIP (SAFECAM)

As reported to Cabinet in January the expectation is that Safecam becomes fully managed by Suffolk Constabulary during June/July this year. Suffolk County Council will formally withdraw from the current partnership before 1 July. Interim control of Safecam passed to the police on 1 April as they are now underwriting all operational costs funded from income from speeders attending speed awareness courses. In early June the police will assess the viability of the operation and take a report to its Police Authority for a decision. If they decide to continue they will acquire all of the current assets and liabilities in running the operation. If they decline then the operation will be closed down soon afterwards.

I am hopeful that Safecam will continue – it has proven to be one of the best performing partnerships in the country, in terms of casualty reduction, and whilst its operation is modest it acts as a constant deterrent to speeding.

1. DEMAND RESPONSIVE TRANSPORT (drt)

The first Suffolk Links branded demand responsive transport (DRT) service was introduced in the Wilford area in July 2009 as a replacement for a conventional bus service (72).  It proved to be a successful and cost effective method of providing rural public transport.  Since then, a programme of consultation and needs analysis has led to the introduction of further Suffolk Links services named 3 Towns (Bury, Newmarket, Haverhill area), Alde (Orford, Wickham Market, Snape, Aldeburgh area) and, as of June this year, Hoxne and Upper Blyth Valley (Eye, Debenham, Halesworth area).

In order to build on the success of these services and to maintain the ‘momentum’, existing services such as Cosford Connect, Club88, Coastlink etc. have been re-designed and re-launched under the Suffolk Links brand.  By Mid 2011, there will be a total of 13 Suffolk Links services throughout Suffolk.  Work continues on improving the customer experience by reducing the notice required to make bookings.  We are hopeful that the current notice period of 24hrs minimum notice will be reduced to 2 hours or less; some operators are already achieving this.

Despite the financial constraints we will continue to seek further opportunities to introduce this type of DRT service.  We will be working closely with our colleagues in the 3^rd sector to maximise the use of resources.

1. SATISFACTION WITH BUS SERVCIES

Despite the level of reductions needed to public transport services being greater than ever before, close working with partners and communication of the changes with greater clarity have enabled a very positive outcome. This was mainly down to the following actions:

• Close working with operators to achieve mutually advantageous outcomes (commercial services / shared risk);
• Early decision to protect core services and acceptance of  the need to reduce or cancel services outside of core remit;
• Portfolio Holder engagement to allow flow of information to other members;
• Early information direct to Members and representative groups (SALC) to highlight potential for change in advance of budget decision;
• Swift communication to Councillors following budget decisions to inform them of where to find information;
• Immediate publicity via dedicated web page showing ALL service changes (including those to commercial network – not just sponsored services);
• Dissemination of timetable information via same web page as soon as it became available;
• Continuous engagement with Councillors updating them where information was requested;
• Acceptance of need to listen to and engage with residents where genuine loss of access is identified, engagement through local members and third sector organisations utilised successfully;

Correspondence has been limited to a number of local issues and these are being addressed as they arise. Where solutions cannot immediately be put in place officers are retaining information for use in future service planning. In effect consultation has already started for any future changes and residents views are being listened to.

1. Road Maintenance

The announcement in the Budget of additional funding to repair the damage to roads in England following another severe winter was very welcome.  Suffolk has received an allocation of £4.441 million from the Department of Transport, which has to be spent on road repairs by the end of September.

Suffolk’s roads capital programme this year was already just under £18 million.  The extra £4.441 million has enabled us to expand greatly this year’s programme of local patching and edge repairs; surface dressing; and resurfacing schemes to many more sites across the whole of Suffolk.

Road users may have noticed that the surface dressing programme this year has started early, helped by the warm weather in late April.  Surface dressing is a cost-effective treatment that restores skidding resistance and prolongs the life of the road surface. It also seals roads against water penetration, one of the main causes of potholes when the water freezes and thaws during the winter.

7 SEPTEMBER 2010

1. STOWMARKET RELIEF ROAD

I have had a longstanding interest in the development of Stowmarket going back to my membership of the old Highways Committee. One of the early highway improvements undertaken by the newly formed Highways Committee was the Stowmarket inner relief road. I was therefore, especially pleased that on Thursday 2 September, in the company of elected representatives, officers, contractors and consultants, I was able to formally open the B1115 Stowmarket Relief Road.

This new road will provide a link for the continuing residential and business developments between the town and the A14. The new road also bridges the River Gipping and the Ipswich to Bury/Norwich railway line, thus removing the need for traffic to regularly queue for long periods at the Station Road level crossing gates.

This new road will bring long awaited and much needed relief for road users and residents and will improve the environment for businesses and residents in many of the town centre streets, which in turn will make a major contribution to the development and economy of this important market town located in the centre of Suffolk.

1. CYCLE TRAINING FOR THE 21^ST CENTURY

Our Road Safety Education team has been expanding the provision of cyclist training across the county to promote safer road use and healthy, active travel.

Over the past 18 months we have increased the provision of Bikeability training – “Cycling Proficiency for the 21st Century” - which adds to the Suffolk Young Cyclist Training provision that is already being resourced and which utilises around 200 volunteers across Suffolk. Bikeability is delivered in a different manner and is funded by Department for Transport grants. After an initial £20,000 grant last year, the Road safety Education team have expanded the Bikeability scheme within Ipswich and have received a grant of £60,000 for 2010/11. This equates to around 1500 students in Year 6 being trained in Bikeability, on top of a further 1500 being trained using the volunteer scheme. The training is delivered by the Road Safety team along with local cycling training companies.

Cycling promotion in the Waveney area is being supported, and part funded, by NHS Great Yarmouth and Waveney as part of their work to encourage healthy activity.

1. TOUR OF BRITAIN CYCLE RACE

The Road Safety team is closely involved with promotion and activities around the Tour of Britain cycle race which goes from Bury St Edmunds to Colchester on September 17th 2010. They will be attending events in Bury St Edmunds, Haverhill and Sudbury to promote family cyclist training, road risk management and healthy activity. They will also be working in schools along the route – with particular focus on Haverhill – to promote both the event itself and wider road safety messages.

1. A11 fiveways to thetford

I have stressed the need to Matthew Hancock MP (West Suffolk) for the government to get on with the duelling of the A11 from Fiveways (Mildenhall) to Thetford.

I was pleased to note that Matthew Hancock initiated a debate in Parliament on 27^th July on this matter.  Matthew told Parliament that the economic case for dualling the final section of the A11 was compelling and that this was reflected in the advice from consultants working for the Highways Agency that £134m cost of the project will generate over £19m in indirect taxes, and economic benefits of over £550m for consumers, and £1.1bn for businesses. There are also productivity benefits in Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire.

Other MP’s speaking in favour of the dualling included Ben Gummer (Ipswich) and Peter Aldous (Waveney).  I personally gave evidence at the Public Inquiry held last year and strongly argued at that time, that the project would benefit the local and national economy, in particular businesses in the region and help the economic recovery.

The Government accepted that there is a strong economic case for dualling the A11 with the Roads Minister, Mike Penning, indicating that he was impressed by the case. However, no decision can be taken on whether to dual the final stretch of the A11 until the autumn, following the Comprehensive Spending Review, and we are still awaiting the Inspectors Report.

I attended the public meeting at Barton Village Hall on 17 September, organised by the local MP and explained at this meeting how active Suffolk County Council had been in promoting the improvements as well as being instrumental in protecting the rights of non-motorised road users as a consequence of the proposed dualling.

I will continue to work with and support Matthew Hancock MP, the Highways Agency and other elected representatives and organisations to support the case for the early implementation of this essential improvement.

1. regional transport forum

The Regional Transport Forum (RTF) met on the 25 June 2010 to receive       reports on:

• The Coalition Government’s transport priorities, including the future programme for transport, plans to devolve powers to localities and removing powers at the regional level and the future role of the Regional Transport Forum (RTF).  The RTF agreed to send a letter to Government summarising the views of the region on the future role of the Forum and its potential contribution in supporting the economic recovery and transport priorities in the East of England;
• Progress in delivering the regionally based Delivering a Sustainable Transport Strategy (DaSTS) studies and submitting a regional report to Department for Transport. With support from RTF, the regional report recommended that the Network Resilience and Adaptation Study and proposals to update and enhance the East of England transport model be taken forward;
• The Regional Funding Allocation (RFA2) programme, in particular noting that the A130/A13 Sadlers Farm and Luton-Dunstable Busway schemes had been approved. After the meeting RTF was advised that the planned public inquiry into the proposed A5-M1 Link Road had been deferred and;
• Network Rail’s consultation on funds released by Trans-European Transport Network TEN-T grant, rail priorities and Rail Franchise response.  RTF agreed to write to the Philip Hammond MP, Secretary of State for Transport, supporting the case to implement a double track Ipswich Chord and focus priorities on three strategic rail routes including the Great Eastern Main Line and Felixstowe to Nuneaton. The RTF also advocated that any excess funding arising from successful bids in the future for TEN-T grant to improve the Felixstowe to Nuneaton route, e.g. to implement the Nuneaton Chord, should be recycled back into projects aimed at improving the route.

In addition to the support from RTF for the Ipswich Chord, it is clear from local consultation held earlier this year that there is strong local support for this project and a desire to implement a double track from the outset.

I will continue to work with Network Rail and other relevant organisations to support the case for early implementation of a double track Ipswich Chord.    Network Rail have since confirmed the scheme that they will be promoting will be double tracked.

1. trunk road diversion routes

Over the past year, we have expressed concerns about the proposed arrangements put forward by the Highways Agency for dealing with traffic diverted onto local roads as a result of an incident/accident on the trunk road network.

The Highways Agency recently advised us that a representative will attend a meeting with relevant councillors and representatives of local communities and key stakeholders to explain and receive feedback on their proposals before they are implemented.

This will provide an opportunity to discuss local concerns about the arrangements proposed by the Highways Agency, how this would work in practice and the need for mitigation measures.

It is my intention to chair this meeting, which is likely to be held in the autumn.

1. HAVEN GATEWAY PARTNERSHIP

I welcome the news from the Haven Gateway Partnership that they will support and work with us to identify how we can support the industry’s request for additional secure lorry parking places along the A12 and A14 corridors.  We will work together to lobby for proper facilities for drivers which they rightly deserve.

1. waste core strategy- examination in public

The public hearings into Suffolk County Council’s Waste Core Strategy were held between in July at the IpCity Centre, Wherstead Road Ipswich. The hearings were conducted by Mrs Susan Holland, an Inspector appointed by the Planning Inspectorate. These hearings form part of the Examination in Public of the Strategy. The Inspector’s report is due to be received in early October and will be binding on the County Council.

If the Strategy is found to be “sound” then it is intended to report the outcome of the Examination to Council in December.  If accepted by full council, the   Strategy will then be formally adopted. At this stage the Strategy would become part of the Development Plan. The Town & Country Planning Act requires that planning applications for waste development are determined in accordance with the Development Plan unless material considerations indicate otherwise. The adopted Strategy will therefore be a significant document in dealing with applications for waste developments in the future. Its significance is likely to be even more important now that the Regional Spatial Strategy has been revoked by Government.

The hearings were relatively lightly attended but individual sessions, especially those relating to sites identified in the Strategy as being potentially suitable for residual waste treatment facilities or for non hazardous landfill, attracted most attention.

1. GODDARD ROAD

Councillors will be aware of the planned move of highways and other services from the depot at Great Blakenham to a new site on Goddard Road, Ipswich, now known as Phoenix House.

I am pleased to say that the move of office staff took place over the weekend of 17 and 18 July with the Suffolk Fleet Maintenance vehicle workshops following a week later.  The Suffolk Highways Contracting works operation will remain at Great Blakenham during August to avoid disrupting the surface dressing operation, and to allow working space at Phoenix House for completion of the new salt barn, which is already well advanced.

Suffolk Fleet Maintenance will soon be joined in the Phoenix House     workshops by the Fire Service vehicle maintenance operation, moving from their current site at Colchester Road Fire Station.  A great example of bringing services together for improved resilience and efficiency.

The new salt barn will hold 50% more salt than the old one at Great      Blakenham.  Following national salt shortages over the last two winters, this extra salt storage capacity will help safeguard our much valued winter gritting operation and also allow the gritting service for Ipswich to move to the site in the future.

1. COPDOCK JUNCTION

As members know, the Copdock junction on the A12/A14/A1214 not only       services two trunk roads (A14 is Strategic) but the A12/A14 is the major road access to our county town.  Under the terms of planning permission granted to the Felixstowe Docks and Railway Company Ltd (SDR) for the extension of port facilities, SDR was obliged to pay for improvements to this junction to      ensure that road traffic conditions were not worsened as a consequence of        implementing the planning permission.

The Highways Agency (HA) is the lead authority in producing the          improvement plans and has now tabled its proposals.     Unfortunately, the HA proposals would make congestion on the A1214 worse and may encourage  rat-running through villages such as Copdock.

As a consequence, Suffolk County Council has been unable to accept the HJA proposals as tabled.  Tim Yeo MP and Ben Gummer MP have written to the HA expressing their support for Suffolk County Council’s stance.

1. SUFFOLK ONE

The Rights of Way Committee met on 17 June to consider the objections to the waiting restrictions around Suffolk One.  Their recommendation was for the through routes to be protected to permit the flow of traffic around the area.  I agreed with the ROW committee and the on-street waiting restrictions around Suffolk One will be in place before the opening for year 12 students on 6             September.

I have asked that Suffolk One ensure that there is a dedicated point of contact for members of the public to advise of any parking issues.  This will be in place prior to the opening of Suffolk One

I have asked for a formal review of parking around the college be carried out in December 2011, when Suffolk One is at full capacity with both year 12 and year 13 students.

1. duke street

Work has started on the scheme to transform the area around Duke Street in Ipswich. This area carries a very large volume of traffic and is the gateway to the town’s waterfront regeneration area and the thriving Education Quarter.        This £3.2 million scheme will introduce traffic signal control in place of the  former roundabout. This will make it possible to manage traffic more efficiently.  Signal operation will also make it possible for buses approaching from the new bus lane on Bishops Hill to get to the front of the traffic queue. The new junction arrangement will provide new, safe pedestrian crossings and will provide better routes for cyclists.  The scheme also includes much needed enhancement to the quality of the urban realm which led to an increase in amenity for local residents.

The scheme also includes new traffic signals at the junction of Back Hamlet    and Foxhall Road to ease traffic flow. The opportunity is also being taken to   resurface the roads in the area that have been affected by the work, including Grimwade Street, Fore Street and Duke Street.

I have asked Ipswich Borough Council, under their Agency Agreement, to carry out local consultations with residents in the nearby streets that may experience additional traffic as a result of the scheme, and to introduce minor traffic management measures to deal with any concerns.

There is a particular issue for car owners who live in Neptune Square/Quay.  Up until the work started, residents returning to their homes by car were able to use the old roundabout to turn back and so gain access. This roundabout has been taken out and the journey as a consequence is about 600 yards longer and when the scheme is finished, will pass through signalled junctions. I appreciate the added inconvenience to residents, but other solutions suggested by the residents and their professional advisor did not pass the road safety audit and could not be implemented.

I am proud of this scheme, which has the full support of Ipswich Borough         Council and which I am sure will further enhance the quality of the built      environment in this part of Ipswich.

13. SAFETY CAMERAS

Members will, no doubt, have read reports that in some parts of England, (e.g. Oxfordshire) safety cameras a have been switched off.  No such actions have been taken in Suffolk.  In Suffolk we have relatively few safety cameras and our focus has always been to place them where they have the maximum affect in reducing road traffic accidents.  However, a final decision about safety cameras and the Roadsafe partnership will be taken once the financial position of the county is known after the announcement in Comprehensive Spending Review in October.

14.       Potholes And Road Repairs

In my report to May Council, I advised of the damage which the severe winter weather had caused to the County’s roads.  Councillors will have been only too aware of the rapid appearance of potholes on our roads and pavements, and the large amount of correspondence that this had generated at the time.

I am pleased to be able to report good progress in dealing with the large        numbers of urgent repairs which had become necessary. This has been helped by the additional £1.5million revenue funding which the Council was able to make available to undertake emergency repairs, and by the additional £1.975million funding provided by Government for permanent repairs. However, we remain concerned at the long term damage caused to the structure of our roads by the penetrating frosts of the last 2 winters. Time will tell as to those longer term effects.

During 2009/10 we received approximately 3,000 reports of potholes from members of public via our call centres and other means (compared with approximately 1800 reports in 2008/9).  Separately, we also identify potholes in the course of our routine highway inspections – these are not identified individually, but repaired on a rolling basis and are much the larger in numbers.  All the potholes that we are aware of and which meet the County Council’s intervention criteria have now been made safe. Wherever possible, we try to achieve permanent repair at first visit.  However, this is not always possible and temporary repairs are put in place. This was particularly the case during the   bad weather when large numbers of potholes were appearing and when wet or icy weather conditions would mean that it would be very difficult to achieve durable repairs.

With the better weather, we are now undertaking our spring/summer round of highway inspections and further repairs are being ordered to ensure the roads and pavements remain safe.  In some cases we have seen extensive damage to individual roads, particularly where there is poor drainage or sub-soil.  Where we can, within the budgets available, we are undertaking more substantial surfacing to strengthen the road structure. However, in most cases, where damage is limited, we are undertaking patch repairs and providing a surface dressing treatment which is the lowest cost form of repair.

Whilst we are confident that we have been able to restore the road network to a safe condition, we are concerned at the longer term effect of the past two winters on the condition of the County’s road network.  However, it is clear that the penetrating frosts have substantially weakened a number of roads.  Road   condition survey investigations are currently under way and these should help us to identify the extent of this damage and monitor the overall deterioration of   the network.

2 DECEMBER 2010

1. Ipswich – transport fit for the 21st Century

I am delighted to report that subject to final confirmation in January 2011, the County Council’s major transport scheme Ipswich – Transport fit for the 21st Century, is to receive funding from Government.  I met Norman Baker MP, the Minister for Local Transport in Ipswich on 27 October where he made the announcement.

Ipswich – Transport fit for the 21st Century is a £27 million project that will support future growth and economic development in Ipswich. I am very pleased that in a period of financial restraint, the County Council has been able to secure this much needed investment in our county town.

The scheme is a major plank of our sustainable transport strategy for Ipswich. It will provide much better management of existing road space and significant improvements for walking, cycling and public transport which will lead to better health outcomes and greater use of low carbon transport.

The main components of the scheme are:

1. Intelligent Transport Systems:

A computerised urban traffic management and control system will control all the traffic signals within the wider Ipswich area.  A key role for the system will be to provide dynamic bus priority at junctions.  The system will provide better junction efficiency and can help plan for expected and unexpected incidents. It will also include variable message signs for car park occupancy, road closures, traffic information etc. This will be linked to the proposed A14 and A12 information systems.

The intelligent transport package also includes a real time passenger information system for local buses network which will include screen displays at both bus stations, at many stops around the town centre and on bus routes leading into the town centre.

1. Bus Infrastructure Improvements:

Old Cattle Market and Tower Ramparts bus stations will be completely refurbished. There will be increased capacity, safer and more efficient layouts for bus operations, weatherproof waiting areas for passengers, better information and better toilet facilities. There will also be improvements to key bus stops in the central area, providing better waiting and information facilities.

The provision of a new bus service to serve the waterfont, education quarter, railway station and town centre is being considered as a separately funded addition to the scheme.

1. Walking and Cycling Improvements:

The third strand of the scheme is the delivery of excellent walking and cycling networks connecting central areas such as Ipswich Village, the waterfront, education quarter and town centre to each other, to the railway station and bus stations.  The cycling routes provided within the major scheme connect to the wider networks being implemented with LTP funding as part of the delivery of the transport strategy. This strand will include the removal of the roundabout and pedestrian subways at the Princes Street / Civic Drive junction so people can cross at ground level. This change will also enable bus priority and enhance the setting of the Willis building as a gateway to the town centre.

1. Demand Management:

Ipswich – Transport fit for the 21st Century will be accompanied by a separately funded programme to try to change travel behaviour in the town, to reduce reliance on the car. Taken together these measures should significantly reduce future traffic growth in Ipswich.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Ben Gummer MP, Daniel Poulter MP and also those involved in the County Council and Ipswich Borough Council for the support they have given to enable this important local project to be accepted by government.

1. A11 Fiveways to Thetford

On the 17 September I attended a meeting organised by Matthew Hancock MP held in Barton Mills Village Hall, to discuss the current status of the A11 Fiveways to Thetford project and consider potential ways to move forward.

I was invited to speak to this meeting and in particular to outline details of the scheme, its benefits and economic appraisal. I was able to reinforce the County Council’s support and commitment for this essential improvement.

Other speakers included Lord Iveagh who commented on the impact on local businesses and Elizabeth Truss MP for South West Norfolk who commented on the wider strategic benefits of the project.

Neither the Department for Transport nor the Highways Agency was represented.

Following the meeting, a letter signed jointly by the Leaders of Suffolk and Norfolk County Councils was sent to the Secretary of State for Transport highlighting the following aspects:

• The County Council’s full support for the MPs calling for the remaining single carriageway stretch of the A11 between Fiveways and Thetford to be dualled;

• Stressing that the scheme has a huge benefit to cost ratio of over 17 and pointing out that it will provide £135 million in wider economic benefits such as increased productivity. That is in addition to the £550 million from the conventional highway scheme assessment;

• Confirming that this project is a long term aspiration of both authorities and has previously been accepted as a high priority project by elected members from across the region;

• Indicating that both authorities gave evidence to the public inquiry in support of this project, which is considered to be a crucial piece of unfinished transport infrastructure that will complete the investment that has been carried out on this route over the past 25 years or more;

• The scheme has very strong support from all key stakeholders including MPs, the business community, local media and the general public, 16,000 of whom have signed a petition supporting it;

• The substantial benefits generated by completing the dualling of the A11 will contribute to the economic recovery and also support businesses and growth within the east of England. Implementation of this project will also support jobs in the construction industry.

• Recognising that although the Inspector’s report into the public inquiry had been submitted, his recommendations were not public knowledge. Nevertheless, faced with the overwhelming weight of evidence in support of the project, it is expected that the outcome is positive and will enable the orders to be approved;

• Dualling the A11 deserves to be given priority because of the very positive impact it will have on the region’s economy by delivering the economic growth necessary to ensure this country continues to recover from the recession;

• A request to allocate the funds necessary to implement this project.

I am pleased to note that on the 20 October the Chancellor announced that as a result of the spending review settlement, the dualling of the A11 between Fiveways and Thetford had been given the go ahead, subject to statutory processes, although subsequent statements from government have indicated that due to the level of funding required for schemes already under construction new projects are unlikely to start before 2012/13.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Matthew Hancock MP, his predecessor Richard Spring together with those involved in the County Council and in the region, including Norfolk County Council, for the support they have given to enable this vital project to be taken forward.

1. A14 Copdock Mill Interchange

On the 27 September I chaired a meeting involving elected representatives of local communities in the vicinity of Copdock Mill Interchange to receive a report from the Highways Agency on their proposed modifications to this junction in response to Felixstowe South Reconfiguration and SnOasis developments.

Key issues arising were:

• The Highways Agency’s proposals are relatively modest in scale and intended to ensure that conditions at the interchange will be no worse as a result of the additional traffic generated by these developments. The proposed improvements did not address existing congestion problems or the increase in those problems over time as a result of general traffic growth. Councillors expressed considerable concern about the existing situation and the impact of trunk road traffic diverting onto local roads to avoid congestion and delays on the approaches to the interchange;

• Evidence presented by the Highways Agency, indicated that over time taking into account forecast traffic growth, there will be a substantial increase in queuing, particularly on the A12 and A1214 approaches.  This is in part because the proposed scheme is designed to minimise queuing back onto the main A14 carriageway for safety reasons.  The A12 approach to Copdock is part of a strategic transport corridor connecting London to the Haven Ports and together with the A1214 comprises a major and important gateway into Ipswich. The forecast increase in queuing on the A12 and A1214 approaches carries an inherent risk of significant additional strategic traffic movements diverting onto local roads and affecting local communities and businesses;

• Councillors were disappointed that the Highways Agency scheme removes the existing free flowing left turn lanes at this junction and that the scheme failed to address general traffic issues and concerns; and

• The Highways Agency indicated that although some initial work on a longer term improvement had been carried out, this aspect is now being addressed separately through the London to Haven Ports study. The Highways Agency advised that a longer term solution would take a minimum of 9 years to develop, implement and be opened to traffic.

Local Councillors agreed:

• that there is a clear and urgent need for the Highways Agency to develop and implement a sensible and more comprehensive solution to address current and predicted future traffic problems associated with this interchange; and

• to jointly sign a letter to the Secretary of State for Transport, Philip Hammond MP, to stress the inadequacy of the interchange and current proposals and the need to start work on developing a longer term solution that is capable of being implemented within a reasonable timeframe and avoid strategic traffic diverting onto local roads.

I indicated that I would organise and invite relevant MP’s together with County, District and Parish Councillors to a follow up meeting to discuss the way forward for longer term improvements to Copdock Interchange with representatives from the Department of Transport and Highways Agency. It is intended that this meeting, which I intend to chair as the relevant Suffolk County Council Portfolio Holder, will enable elected local community representatives to discuss a range of concerns about trunk road related issues in the Ipswich Fringe area.

The evidence presented by the Highways Agency indicated that with the proposed modifications in place and on balance road traffic conditions would not be worse as a consequence of implementing the Felixstowe South Reconfiguration and SnOasis planning permissions. With this in mind the Highways Agency’s proposals were subsequently accepted by the County Council as a short term mitigation to facilitate the Felixstowe South Reconfiguration and SnOasis developments.

Subsequent discussions with the Highways Agency suggest that the proposed works at Copdock (and Dock Spur junction at Felixstowe) will commence immediately after Christmas.

1. Concessionary Travel Scheme

I have been working closely with District Council colleagues within Suffolk to manage the transfer of responsibility for the English National Concessionary Travel Scheme from the Districts to the County Council, which will be effective as from the 1 April 2011.

This will be a new statutory duty placed on the County Council and the indicative level of funding from government for the Concessionary Travel scheme in Suffolk indicates that there will be insufficient funding to maintain the current level of discretions that the District Councils have been funding over and above the statutory scheme.

Having considered options, Cabinet agreed that in Suffolk:

• the scheme will not apply to travel before 9:30am, i.e. consistent with the national scheme; although

• pass holders in remote areas will be allowed to travel free on specific buses before 9.30am if there is no other bus services available that morning; and

• the scheme will be enhanced to allow taxi travel vouchers to be issued instead of a pass where a person is unable to use a bus to travel.

Whilst the County Council will fully run the scheme after 1 April 2011, I am pleased to say that the District Councils have agreed to continue to offer information to users of the scheme so that there is a seamless handover of responsibility.

1. Ipswich Park and Ride

As part of budget considerations the Cabinet has decided to save almost one third of the subsidy that the Council puts into the Ipswich Park and Ride scheme.

Various options were evaluated and the closure of the service between the Bury Road site and the Town Centre was considered to have least impact on users of the service. The site is programmed to close in February 2011 and every effort will be made to keep existing and potential users informed about the change.

I am committed to provide viable sustainable travel options for people who travel into Ipswich Town Centre, and the users of the Bury Road site will be encouraged to continue to use bus services including the London Road Park and Ride service a little further along the A14.

I will continue to work closely with Ipswich Borough Council, which owns the Bury Road site, to explore ways of providing high quality commercially viable bus services in the town, perhaps through partnership agreements.

In times of diminishing budgets, the County Council has to make difficult choices, which includes reducing the level of service provided by the County Council. I believe that the action agreed by Cabinet demonstrates a responsible attitude towards reducing costs whilst continuing to provide customers with reasonable alternatives.

1. fresh ways to work

On the 8 October I launched the Fresh Ways to Work project at the University Campus Suffolk Waterfront building.

This project, which is being promoted jointly by Suffolk and HertfordshireCounty Council’s, will benefit from £830,000 European funding to end of March 2013. Over 30 partners and stakeholders from both counties attended the launch.

The project involves:

• Free travel planning service for 80 small and medium sized enterprises in Ipswich and 80 in St Albans (Hertfordshire);

• Innovative journey planning, information and bus ticketing, using mobile phones and internet technologies;

• Easy access to discounted bus tickets and tax reduced bicycles;

• Rewards and incentives linked with the Ipswich Central business improvement district; and

• Journey planning and bus ticketing innovations will also be available to the public.

Potential benefits of this initiative include:

• Supports low carbon economic development and reduces congestion;

• Saves money and CO2;

• Improves health, productivity and retention of staff;

• Encourages behaviour change to sustainable and active travel choices;

• Linked to Ipswich Transport fit for the 21st Century major transport scheme; and

• Provides benefits to large organisations through the Suffolk Sustainable Travel Forum, including British Telecom; Port of Felixstowe; EDF Energy; Ipswich Hospital; West Suffolk Hospital and Waveney District Council.

1. Coordinating major works in the Ipswich and surrounding area

In the autumn of 2009, the County Council initiated a series of meetings to coordinate works in Ipswich and the surrounding area.  The intention was to minimise congestion and delay and impacts on local communities as a result of implementing works carried out by the Highways Agency, the County Council, Ipswich Borough (as agents) and other organisations, in particular Utilities.

In addition, planned events such as the Suffolk Show, Ipswich Town Football Club home matches and also potential impact on Christmas shoppers and local businesses were taken into account to avoid clashes and minimise overall disruption.

A joint web page “Roadworks – Helping you avoid congestion in the Ipswich area”  was created in July 2010 in conjunction with the start of Dukes Street project.  The website provided quick links to the relevant works information on the Ipswich Borough, Highways Agency and County Council websites.

The following projects have been considered:

• Modifications to the Dukes Street junction (Suffolk County Council);

• Wherstead Road Re-Surfacing (Ipswich Borough Council and Suffolk County Council) involving night closures;

• Foxhall Road Re-Surfacing (Ipswich Borough Council) involving night closures;

• Improvements to Rope Walk/Grimwade Street (Ipswich Borough Council);

• Orwell Bridge Bearing Replacement (Highways Agency) which is likely to be complete by Christmas;

• Copdock Interchange and Felixstowe Dock Spur Interchange (Highways Agency). Works expected to start in the new year and last for 6 months;

• A14 Technology Scheme (Highways Agency/Birse). Commissioning expected by end of January 2011;

• A137 Brantham Hill resurfacing (Suffolk County Council). Resurfacing under road closure and planned to avoid conflict with Orwell Bridge/Copdock works.

1. trunk road diversion routes

On the 1 December I chaired a meeting involving representatives of local communities throughout Suffolk, neighbouring authorities, and key stakeholders to receive a report from the Highways Agency on their proposals for dealing with traffic diverted off the trunk road network in the event of an incident/emergency.

This follows a request from the Highways Agency to each local authority to sign a supplementary and detailed local operating agreement relating to the arrangements for diverting motorway and trunk road traffic onto a local highway authority’s network. There is widespread concern about the proposed agreement.

Inherent within this proposed agreement is the identification of pre-planned and designated diversion routes which the Highways Agency argue “will enable diverted traffic to be managed more effectively through an Local Highways Authority (LHA) road network, therefore minimising disruption and facilitating its efficient and timely passage back onto Agency roads”.

The intention was to identify a single diversion route for each section of trunk road and to sign these routes with appropriate symbols, i.e. triangle, square, circle or diamond.

The intention of the meeting was to ensure that the proposal to introduce signed emergency local diversion routes are fully appreciated; to ensure that SCC understands the views of local community representatives; and to enable the County Council to take a view on the appropriate way forward.

Relevant considerations included:

• Discussion at Roads and Transport Scrutiny Committee including the recommendation to investigate the feasibility of multiple sets of diversion routes for those sections of trunk road most often closed to traffic;

• A study instigated by the Department for Transport and led by Professor Peter Landshoff (Cambridge University) on improving transport information systems, including the effect on nearby towns of incidents on a nearby Highways Agency road;

• Concerns expressed by local communities including specific capacity problems at Newmarket (Clock Tower junction); the diversion route through Sproughton; relationship to Operation Stack and the impact on rural roads and on local communities. This issue was also raised by a local resident at the recent A11 Fiveways to Thetford meeting organised by Matthew Hancock MP; and

• Suffolk Constabulary and Suffolk County Council officer views and discussions with the Highways Agency and their service providers.

The following were involved: County/District/Parish Councillors; representatives of local communities; Felixstowe Dock and Railway Company; haulage operators; representatives of the Haulage Industry e.g. Road Haulage Association and Freight Transport Association; motoring organisations; Suffolk Constabulary and neighbouring Highway Authorities.

All Suffolk MPs have been kept informed.

1. regional transport forum

The Regional Transport Forum (RTF) met on the 10 September 2010 to receive reports on:

• the launch of the Eastern Highways Alliance (EHA) aimed at helping Highway Authorities to improve highway services in the East of England and deliver efficiency savings. Suffolk is a founding member;

• shared services from the Programme Director of Regional Cities East;

• the Changing Scene of Sub-National Government and in particular Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs). I was able to put forward the position in Suffolk including the importance of Cambridgeshire as the economic driver, the Haven Gateway and growth in offshore energy. A further report on LEPs will be considered at the next meeting of the Forum in December;

• the Plugged in Places government led initiative. It was agreed that officers from Luton and Cambridge will represent RTF on the ‘Plugged in Places’ Steering Group;

• the European Commission’s TEN-T Consultation document on the future of the Trans-European Transport Network from the European Partnership Office;

• Local Transport Plan 3 and the Department for Transport’s consultation on the Integrated Transport and Highway Maintenance block allocations;

• DfT Consultation on Reforming Rail Franchising and Network Rail Consultation on East Coast Mainline 2016.

Concern was also expressed by Councillors about changes to the concessionary fares scheme and related budget problems.

1. Joint Norfolk County Council and Suffolk County Council meeting

On the 9 September, I met Norfolk County Councillor Adrian Gunson, Cabinet Member for Travel and Transport to discuss cross boundary and other issues of common interest and importance to both authorities.

Topics discussed included:

• Major Schemes, including A11 Fiveways to Thetford, A11 Fiveways Grade separation, Long Stratton Bypass and Brandon Relief Road;

• Issues to be discussed at the Regional Transport Forum;

• Public Transport Issues including East Anglia Franchise, access and car parking at Diss Station and concessionary bus travel; and

• Trunk Road Off Network Diversion Routes.

1. A12 Alliance

The A12 Alliance met on the 16 August 2010 to receive:

• A report on the potential impact of the Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR). It was noted that the Coalition Government had confirmed the funding of a number of schemes including work to Sadlers Farm, although Government funding for the A12 proposals is still to be confirmed;

• A progress report from DfT on the London to Haven Gateway Study National Networks DaSTS Study.  DfT advised that they will continue to work with Essex County Council, Suffolk County Council and the Highways Agency but cannot go into detailed consultation until after the CSR. The Chairman of the A12 Alliance, Cllr Norman Hume (Essex) subsequently sent a letter to the Secretary of State stressing the importance of work to improve the A12;

• A progress report from the Essex Police and Essex County Council on the A12 Patrols, including details of breakdowns on the A12, the complex nature of dealing with serious collisions on the A12 due to the central reservation and rerouting of traffic, the economic benefit of the A12 Patrols and reduction in congestion since the introduction of the patrols.

A report from the Highways Agency, including the capital and revenue costs of HA project, the development of detailed business cases and the A14 Technology Project;

12.       NATIONAL STRATEGIC INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS

National Strategic Infrastructure Projects (IPC) are those that are currently likely to be considered by the Infrastructure Planning Commission. It is the Government’s intention to scrap this organisation and for decisions to be taken by the appropriate Secretary of State. However, it will be some time before any necessary legislation is enacted and in the meantime the IPC will continue with its functions.

The County Council is currently dealing with five proposals which will ultimately be going to the IPC, more we think than any other council in the country. The Council has a key role as a “statutory authority” and is seen, along with the appropriate district council, as being able to represent the interests of the local communities both in the lead up to the submission of proposals to the IPC and then in any inquiry that is held.

The five schemes that we are currently aware of are:

• A twin nuclear reactor at Sizewell;
• A new power line from Bramford to Twinstead (south of Sudbury);
• The landside implications of a new offshore windfarm off the Suffolk/Essex coast;
• The landside implications of the major new offshore wind array off the Suffolk/Norfolk coast;
• A new railway linking the East Suffolk Line and the Norwich mainline as part of the Felixstowe to Nuneaton freight route.

The majority of these schemes are energy related and guidance for these will be given in National Policy Statements. The first draft of these statements were considered by Cabinet earlier in the year and views were submitted to the Government. There is now a further re-consultation on these documents and I will be bringing a report on this to Cabinet in January 2011.

Earlier in the year, the principle of entering into a Planning Performance Agreement with EDF Energy (developers of Sizewell C), and Suffolk Coastal District Council was accepted by Cabinet. This would provide recompense to the local authorities for the very considerable amount of work that they are likely to be required to undertake in assessing the implications of this major scheme. This Agreement has now been completed and is now in place. We will be looking for similar agreements with other developers in appropriate circumstances.

With regard to the work on Sizewell, one of the key focuses for the County Council is on the transport implications. We will be expecting the developers to produce a transport plan which seeks to provide the most sustainable approach to both the construction and operational period of the power station. However the County Council has clearly stated as part of these discussions that improvements aimed at resolving traffic problems on the A12 through the four villages of Farnham, Stratford St Andrew, Marlesford and Little Glemham remain a political priority and are an essential prerequisite to enable the EDF Energy proposals for Sizewell C to take place.

I believe that the overall volume of traffic using this section of A12, particularly heavy goods vehicles, is causing significant quality of life problems and concerns including safety, community severance and noise.  Improvements are clearly desirable and long overdue.

The support of the wider community and elected representatives in particular is vital in order to secure improvements to the A12 as part of the proposed Sizewell C development. The following sets out the key stages and hence how this support can be put into practice:

1. Government has implemented a “front loaded” process which aims to ensure that as many issues as possible are resolved before an application is submitted. Hence it will be important to be fully involved throughout the process for determining the EDF proposals for Sizewell C, ensuring that as far as possible issues are resolved before the Public Inquiry;

1. Stage 1 Consultation is expected to set out options for mitigating the impact of the proposed development. There will be opportunities before, during and indeed after the Stage 1 Consultation to influence EDF Energy and their proposals for Sizewell C.

1. Stage 2 Consultation will confirm the specific proposals EDF Energy intends to take forward and will follow Stage 1 Consultation probably by at least 6 months. Again there will be opportunities to influence EDF Energy. It will be important to ensure that the “right” proposal is taken forward through the Public Inquiry process as it will be difficult to “add” schemes afterwards;

1. EDF Energy to submit their preferred proposals for Sizewell C: Under current arrangements EDF Energy would submit their proposals for Sizewell C to the Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC), but legislation may change before EDF Energy reach this position;

1. Proposals for Sizewell C to be advertised for a 6 week period: Opportunity to object and make representations to the IPC;

1. Public Inquiry: The local authorities will have the right to submit a Local Impact Report and to be represented at the inquiry ;

1. Under the current legislation, the IPC would make a decision on the proposal. However if the legislation is changed, it is likely that a report would be submitted to the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change for final decision: There may be opportunities throughout this process to influence the Secretary of State.

I have offered a briefing meeting with appropriate MPs and local Councillors to discuss this further.

The Sizewell C development proposals could include the establishment of a freight concentration depot closer to the trunk road network. The County Council is exploring the possibility of any such facility being in the Ipswich Area and what role, if any, this might fulfil after the construction period.

13.       TEN-T application – Felixstowe Dock and Railway Company

Earlier this year, I was pleased to provide a letter in support of the Felixstowe Dock and Railway Company’s TEN-T application for financial support to develop a new North Rail Terminal at the Port of Felixstowe through the TEN-T Annual Work Programme for 2010.

The proposals put forward by Felixstowe Dock and Railway Company will enable the Port:

• to handle longer freight trains and hence increase capacity immediately;

• to accommodate an increase in the movement of containerised traffic as the national rail network is improved and enable an increase in inter-modal transfer between the low carbon modes of ship and rail;

• to support a mode shift from road to rail (TEN-T Priority Axis 26 and TEN-T Priority Axis 13) and in particular allow the full utilisation of Priority Axis 26;

• to deliver an integrated and environmentally friendly transport system for the movement of freight movements to and from the Port;

• to reduce lorry moves on the A14 trunk road bottleneck (TEN-T Priority Axis 13);

• to reduce sensitive lorry miles and increase movement by rail (TEN-T Priority Axis 26); and

• to reduce harmful emissions associated with freight transport and hence support both UK Government and EU objectives.

The delivery of this project is expected to contribute significant economic, social and environmental benefits to the Region and beyond. I hope that support from the European Commission will allow this important EU, UK and Regional project to be delivered speedily in line with the timescales proposed by the Felixstowe Dock and Railway Company.

14.       HAMILTON ROAD SHARED SPACE SCHEME – FELIXSTOWE

I am pleased to report that the latest phase of the Felixstowe Town Centre improvements, the Hamilton Road Shared Space scheme is now complete. The road was opened up to traffic on the 12 November. This project has involved providing a level block paved surface across the full width of the road, with an attractive seating area and new street furniture. Previously this road was dominated by parked cars, and had a poor road safety record compared to other similar shopping streets in Suffolk. We have limited parking to 3 bays for disabled parking, which also provide loading bays for the shops which do not have rear access. The scheme was designed by engineers and planners from the Economy, Skills and Environment directorate, and has been constructed to a very high quality standard by Suffolk Highways Contracting.

I am also very please to advise that the Haven Gateway Partnership have awarded us funding to complete the ‘missing link’ between Orwell Road and Bent Hill. This award was made due to Suffolk County Council’s very good record on scheme delivery, as some other competing schemes had failed to deliver within the required timescales.

The new section of Hamilton Road will be started early in 2011. This project will use materials complimentary to the adjacent shared space projects, but will retain the traditional highway features and the current parking arrangements. We will be providing a block paved feature at the junction of Victoria Street to further link to the design elements used on the earlier phases of the project.

This final phase of the current Felixstowe improvement project will be completed by the end of March 2011.

15.       SATISFACTION WITH HIGHWAYS AND TRANSPORT SERVICE IN SUFFOLK

I am very pleased to report some highlights of Suffolk’s performance within a national survey of customer satisfaction with highways and transport services.

Suffolk is ranked first out of nine East of England authorities and fourth out of 24 County Councils for ‘Overall Satisfaction with Highways and Transport’.

The National Highways and Transportation Public Satisfaction Survey is a postal survey carried out independently by Ipsos MORI.

This year the number of authorities involved has risen to 95 of which 24 were County Councils; including all of our neighbours.

The fundamental purpose of this benchmarking survey is to help highway and transport authorities to improve their service.

Public perception is showing a general improvement on nearly all Key Benchmarking Indicators and Suffolk is ranked in the top five county councils for 16 of the 26 Key Benchmarking Indicators.

Suffolk has scored particularly well in relation to ‘Accessibility’, ‘Rights of Way’ and ‘Street Lighting’ and is ranked highly in the themes of ‘Walking and Cycling’, ‘Tackling Congestion’ and ‘Highway Maintenance and Enforcement’’.

Interestingly the public considered ‘Highway Condition’ to be the most important of the key highway and transportation issues, and the one with which they were least satisfied.  However, Suffolk ranked first among the nine authorities in the East of England and third out of 24 nationally on this key issue.

16.       DefRa MINISTER’S VISIT

Richard Benyon MP, the Minister responsible for Natural Environment and Fisheries within the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs visited the East Anglian coast on the 3 September.  I joined him with other local Councillors and MPs for an open discussion at the Orbis Centre in Lowestoft on a range of issues relevant to the future management of the Norfolk and Suffolk coastline.

The Minister was pleased to hear of the approaches to coast management being taken in Norfolk and Suffolk and the leading roles being taken by local authorities with the Pathfinder and Suffolk Coastal Futures initiatives.

I and other local councillors stressed that Norfolk and Suffolk local authorities are willing to:

• meet the challenges of climate change and increased flood risk and coastal erosion; and

• take on a leadership role with the local community in taking forward an integrated approach to coast management.

However to do so the local authorities stressed the need for:

• better communication and direct working with DEFRA;

• more realistic time horizons for strategic coast planning;

• greater flexibility in the use of funding streams; and

• most importantly reduced bureaucracy in gaining approval for coastal defence schemes.

We hope to arrange a follow up meeting with the Minister at Westminster.

17.       A12 Flood Mitigation Measures – Blythburgh

The A12 at Blythburgh is liable to tidal flooding, the last major incident being in November 2007.  Flooding will become increasingly likely, both as a consequence of the Environment Agency’s strategy for the Blyth estuary and climate change.  It was recognised that the Agency’s strategy took little account of the costs of defending this important road and hence Suffolk County Council were awarded £1.846million to undertake works to alleviate the disruption caused by flooding.  Our initial proposal was to raise the level of the road and provide bunding either side of the road.

However, the local community asked me to consider an alternative proposal which was perceived to represent an opportunity to help protect the Blyth valley from the impact of tidal flooding and rising sea levels and to help sustain the viability of Southwold harbour.  This proposal would involve the construction of a new river wall on the seaward side of the A12, together with a sluice on the river Blyth itself. I agreed to investigate this option and have recently had a meeting with all interested parties including local MPs to share the information we have obtained about the technical feasibility, level of flood protection and wider impacts, including the need for further environmental studies of the both options.

I have a real dilemma – the Council has the funds and ability to undertake the road raising option within the next twelve months.  This would not require further environmental consents and would deliver the required flood alleviation to the road, but would not deliver any wider benefits to the local community.  On the other hand, there are a number of difficulties with the sluice option – not least of which is whether we could obtain the necessary consents in relation to the Habitats Regulations as well as find additional funding for this, more expensive, option.

I am now taking advantage of help offered by local MP, Therese Coffey, to seek clarity from the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Caroline Spelman MP) to ascertain whether we can satisfy the environmental constraints associated with the sluice option without undue costs and delays.  If so, I will be happy to progress this option.  Whatever the outcome, this option could not be put in place until autumn 2012 at the earliest.

18.       Essex and South Shoreline Management Plan

The Essex and South Suffolk Shoreline Management Plan (SMP) covering the Stour and Orwell estuaries in Suffolk has been subject to widespread public consultation and is now going through the process of adoption by local authorities and the Environment Agency – subject to the Secretary of State agreeing to its compliance with the Habitats Regulations.  The Cabinet endorsed the plan on 9 November.

The main implications for the County Council in the long term, are loss of properties and land where the coast is eroding, increased flooding risks and changes to the natural environment and landscape – the latter particularly related to potential managed realignment schemes at Shotley and Trimley.  Of particular concern is how to cope with the increasing flood risk to the B1456 at The Strand, Wherstead, which is the main route into the Shotley Peninsular.

19.       Community project at Shotley Gate to control cliff erosion

For almost a year I have been working for the local community in Shotley Gate to find a solution to the cliff erosion which threatens a number of properties, amenity woodland and footpaths.  The situation is unique in that the normal coastal responsibilities do not apply (due to a quirk in the Coast Protection Act boundary), leaving the community without access to funding to protect this vulnerable area.  The Council were among a number of partners who helped to develop the project and contributed to the first phase of works, which has just been completed.  A second phase, involving protection of a further 110 metres of cliff, is planned for autumn 2011, subject to further funding.

20.       Flood and Water Management Act 2010

Implementation of this Act, which received Royal Assent in April 2010, has been slower than expected and thus many of the new duties and responsibilities for the Council contained in the Act have yet to take full effect, although we are undertaking much of the background preparation ahead of the regulations.  The Council is already taking the lead role within the Suffolk Flood Risk Partnership assessing the risk of surface water flooding across the county and investigating significant problems.  The Partnership is jointly funding and delivering a number of schemes to alleviate local flooding problems – two projects that have been completed recently being in Beyton, near the A14 junction, and in Rushmere St Andrew.

21.       Regional Flood Defence Committee/Regional Flood & Coastal Committees

I regularly attend the Regional Flood Defence Committee and have begun our annual negotiations with the Environment Agency and neighbouring County Councils regarding the flood defence levy payments.  The levy is essential for funding flood and coastal defence schemes that do not meet the criteria for national funding.

As part of the new Flood and Water Management Act the RFDC will be replaced by a new Regional Flood and Coastal Committee next year.  The new committee will have an expanded remit to cover coastal erosion as well as flood defence.  On behalf of the RFDC I attended a meeting with Defra to discuss the details around the role and membership of these new committees.

22.       Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority

The Eastern Sea Fisheries Committee will be replaced by a new body, the Eastern Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority as part of the Marine and Coastal Access Act.  The new body has just had its first meeting and will be run alongside the old Sea Fisheries Committee until fully vested in April 2011.  As well as its current responsibilities and enhanced powers in relation to inshore fisheries management the new committee will have a wider responsibility for conservation of the marine environment, particularly the new Marine Conservation Zones which are currently under development.  The Council has two members on this committee of 21.

23.       ARCHAEOLOGY

I had the opportunity over the last two months to visit two interesting archaeological excavations in the county. The Aldeburgh and District Local History Society were awarded a ‘Your Heritage’ grant, by the Heritage Lottery Fund, to excavate at Barber’s Point, Friston, near Aldeburgh, where previous excavation had revealed Roman and Anglo-Saxon occupation being eroded by the River Alde. The excavations, which were supervised by our own archaeological service staff, involved a large number of local volunteers from the Society. It revealed a large ditched enclosure and within it was an Anglo-Saxon building and some human burials. This might be an eighth century church perhaps related to St Botolph’s seventh century monastery across the river at Iken.  Many local school children visited the site and there was an open day for the public.

The other excavation was on one of our own developments at the Westfield School replacement site at Chalkstone Way, Haverhill. The current fieldwork, undertaken by our own archaeological contracting team, began in June 2010 and covers an area of approximately 1.2 hectares. Three ring ditches have been recorded. Two are currently interpreted as burial monuments (round barrows), whilst the third smaller one could have a domestic function. The features have been provisionally dated to the Early/Middle Iron Age. This makes the site significant as round barrows of that date would be unique to Suffolk, and therefore of regional if not national importance. Other activity includes several cremations, and a number of boundary ditches of prehistoric date. All pupils from years 3 and 4 who will move into the new school visited the site before their summer holidays. The site has now been handed over, on time, to the developers.

17 MARCH 2011

1. Ipswich – transport fit for the 21st Century:

I am delighted to report that on 4 February 2011, the Department for Transport confirmed its approval to our Ipswich – Transport fit for the 21st Century scheme to support sustainable economic growth in Ipswich. The Government is contributing £18.3 million to the revised total scheme cost of £21.5 million. Subject to final approval from the Department for Transport, construction is expected to start in 2012/13.

1. National Symposium on Future Electricity Networks:

I attended the very successful National Symposium on Future Energy Networks organised by Suffolk County Council and held in London on 19 January 2011.  The Leader of Suffolk County Council, Jeremy Pembroke and Portfolio Holder for the Greenest County, Councillor Judy Terry also attended, along with other interested County Councillors.  The Symposium followed up issues raised in the Government’s consultation on National Policy Statements for Energy Infrastructure and National Grid’s proposals for reinforcing the transmission lines from Bramford to Twinstead. The aim was to extend the debate on alternatives to overland power lines and in particular to examine the opportunities for an offshore alternative to new overland power lines.

There was a good attendance at the Symposium from Government departments and agencies, MPs, energy businesses, local authorities from around the country, local amenity bodies, national interest groups and the press. Presentations were made by a wide cross section of the interests attending.  There was general agreement among representatives of local authorities and community and amenity groups that the current regime within which National Grid operates does not take a sufficiently broad approach to balancing environmental issues alongside costs. Tim Yeo MP, as Chair, summed up the day by pointing out that the Government had not thought through the approach to electricity transmission and the extent to which consumers should be expected to pay for the environmental costs of transmission, in the same way as policy on electricity generation has been developed, which effectively require consumers to subsidise renewable energy generation.

Officers have been following up the symposium with further meetings with Ofgem and the Department for energy and Climate Change.

1. A12 Blythburgh Flood Alleviation Measures

Meeting with Floods and Coastal Defence Minister – Richard Benyon:

I met with Floods and Coastal Defence Minister, Richard Benyon MP, on 12 January 2011, at the Houses of Parliament to seek his support for our proposals to protect the A12 at Blythburgh.  Suffolk County Council secured £1.86million from DfT in order to raise the level of the A12 at Blythburgh to protect it from increasing risk of tidal flooding. Subsequently, in conjunction with the local communities, we have been investigating an alternative option – to construct a river wall and sluice seaward of the A12.  As well as protecting the A12 this would also ensure long term protection of the grazing marshes upstream of the A12 and ensure that the already unstable harbour structures at Southwold are not subjected to increased scour due to the higher tidal flows which would occur when the river walls upstream of the A12 breach.

Officers have been investigating this alternative option. It is clear that this option offers significant benefits to the local communities.  However, critical to the success of this scheme would be the need to obtain the necessary consents from Environment Agency and Natural England. At a meeting in September last year there was strong support from the local communities for the alternative option. Local MP, Therese Coffey agreed to arrange a meeting with the Government Minister to raise the issue.

I am pleased to report that the Minister supports the river wall and sluice option and expressed strong support for Suffolk’s approach of working together with Government Agencies and local communities in order to deliver wider benefits for the local community.

We have also met again with Environment Agency and Natural England who are now keen to work with us to deliver this outcome. They have some concerns about the impact of this scheme on the estuary and we are working with them to provide mitigation measures which will address these concerns. Design work has now commenced for a scheme which we now hope to construct during the later part of 2012

This project is an excellent example of how the County Council can work with Government Agencies and the local community to develop a scheme which will deliver wider community benefits.  For Government this has also provided a case study for how it can respond to the impact of sea level rise on coastal communities.

1. Corton and Kessingland awards:

Schools across Suffolk are celebrating after receiving national recognition for their efforts to encourage sustainable travel and reduce car trips.

Suffolk County Council supports The National School Travel Plan Accreditation Scheme for Schools which was launched in 2009 by Modeshift (a voluntary organization who support sustainable school travel).  The scheme is designed to ensure that school travel plans promote and achieve reduction in car use for the journey to and from school.

All the schools take part in a variety of initiatives to reduce the impact of travelling to school by car.  These include setting up Walking Buses, promoting Park and Stride schemes, taking part in cyclist training (including improving cycle storage on school premises) and Junior Road Safety Officers have been involved in promoting road safety awareness to both pupils and parents.

There are three levels of accreditation and among the 25 schools to receive awards; Corton and Kessingland Primary schools in north Suffolk have been classed as ‘Outstanding’. This is quite an achievement as only 6 schools outside of London gained the Outstanding Award. Both these schools have worked hard to ensure that their travel plans and initiatives are ingrained within the school ethos. They continuously show enthusiasm for their school travel plans and in promoting sustainable modes of transport to school.

Representatives from Corton and Kessingland Primary Schools attended a special awards ceremony run by Modeshift in London in December.

1. A12/Commercial Road Junction Lowestoft:

A £1.3 million bid has been submitted to the new Regional Growth Fund for the remodelling of the junction of the A12 and Commercial Road to allow right turning movements into and out of Commercial Road. This scheme would improve access to the Port of Lowestoft to support existing and new businesses creating much needed private sector jobs in the town.

1. Local Sustainable Transport Fund:

Alongside its transport White Paper, “Creating Growth, Cutting Carbon: Making Sustainable Local Transport Happen”, the Government has announced a new transport fund for local sustainable transport measures to which bids are invited. I have asked officers to draw up a bid for a package of transport measures in Lowestoft to support sustainable economic recovery and future growth. Work to define the project is still taking place but it is likely to include a new cycle bridge of Lake Lothing, better bus/rail interchange at the railway station, joint ticketing, extensive business travel planning, and adult and child cycle training

1. trunk road diversion routes:

I previously reported on the meeting held on the 1 December 2010, when representatives of local communities throughout Suffolk, neighbouring authorities, and key stakeholders received a report from the Highways Agency on their proposals for dealing with traffic diverted off the trunk road network in the event of an incident/emergency.

At the end of the meeting those present agreed that:

1. the County Council would confirm it’s position on completing the signing of Emergency Diversion Routes in Suffolk;

1. the elected representatives involved would write to the Secretary of State for Transport setting out the concerns highlighted at the meeting; and

1. the County Council would contact BBC Radio Suffolk to clarify how, what and when information is received from the Highways Agency, in particular from the National Traffic Control Centre.

Following the meeting, I signed and sent a letter on behalf of the 22 local Councillors involved to Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP, Secretary of State for Transport with a summary of the concerns expressed at the meeting and inviting him to comment on the issues raised.

On the 7 February representatives of the County Council and the Suffolk Constabulary attended a meeting of Newmarket Town Council’s Community Services Committee to discuss and respond to a number of queries relating to diversion routes as they affect the town. These included the impact on the Clock Tower junction, management of traffic on the diversion route and opportunities to keep traffic on the trunk road, e.g. using crossover points and introducing a contra flow system on the opposite carriageway (reflecting comments made at the 1 December meeting).

On the 11 February 2011, I met Peter Cook, Managing Editor, BBC Radio Suffolk, to discuss how, what and when information relating to serious incidents and accidents on the trunk road network is received by Radio Suffolk from the National Traffic Control Centre (NTCC) and used in broadcasts.

1. Ipswich Chord: Felixstowe to Nuneaton:

The County Council, working with Ipswich Borough Council, has taken a keen interest in supporting a new rail chord to directly connect the East Suffolk Line to the north-bound Norwich mainline (then onward to Peterborough and Nuneaton).  Network Rail are currently consulting with local authorities and the wider community about the proposal.  They have held a presentation for elected members on 31 January 2011 and a two-day public exhibition at the beginning of February.  Network Rail are now undertaking further consultation and plan to submit a formal application in the Summer.

An application for development consent for all of the works will be submitted to the Infrastructure Planning Commission for approval by the Secretary of State for Transport.  However, a great deal of pre-application consultation is required and officers from the County and the Borough have been working with Network Rail on reaching agreement, including on the following matters:  impacts to the highway network during construction, access and improvements to public footpaths along the River Gipping, and ecological impact and mitigation.

1. Regional Transport Forum:

On the 14 January 2011, I attended and chaired the Regional Transport Forum (RTF). The Forum received reports on:

• Regional Cities East Shared Services, presented by Judith Barker, Programme Director for Capacity for Urban Renaissance in the East (CURE). A baseline report on good practice and opportunities to extend on sharing services is being prepared and thirty case studies are expected to be included in the final report to be presented to the next meeting of the Forum on the 11 March 2011. This includes examples from Suffolk;

• Future of the Regional Transport Forum, including relationship to the Local Economic Partnerships.  The Forum agreed to continue to meet as the only place forum where Transport Portfolio Holders representing Transport Authorities across the East of England can get together, and DfT advised that they will continue to attend and be represented;

Local Enterprise Partnerships and Transport.

• Funding paper presented by the Government office, including schemes that will go ahead and those that had been withdrawn;

• Plugged in Places Government led initiative presented by EEDA. I was able to advise RTF that Suffolk had been working closely with local planning authority colleagues to introduce development control policies that secure provision of charging points / infrastructure in new developments via S106 / planning conditions. Work will continue to install plug-in recharging posts across the East of England;

• Passenger Focus presented by Gavin Smith. This included bus passenger surveys and passenger’s views and the Punctuality Improvement Plan (PIP). I advised RTF that in Suffolk the number of bus passengers had increased and progress had been made in developing RTPI and timetables;

• The following reports were presented for information:

a)         East of England Transport Information Systems;

b)         Concessionary Fares;

c)          Budget Statement;

d)         European Regional Development Fund (ERDF);

e)         Local Transport Plan 3 update;

f)           DaSTS update.

10. National Grid Gas Works – Bury St Edmunds:

National Grid Gas are proposing to carry out major gas works within Bury St Edmunds to replace existing cast iron and ductile mains requiring all commercial and residential properties supplies to be switched. The proposed works involve substantial excavation into the roads and footways and are expected to have a significant impact on the town, in particular on businesses and local residents.

As a result a meeting is being arranged with local Councillors and key stakeholders in the town at which National Grid can present their plans and enable the potential impact on the local community including businesses to be discussed. The intention is to ensure that the National Grid Gas proposals and the views of local community representatives and key stakeholders are fully discussed and appreciated and that an agreed a way forward is established in terms of future meetings and communications/consultation.

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Please read my report to Suffolk County Council for March 2010 at the Reports to Council meeting  held at Endeavour House.

Guy McGregors Report to Suffolk County Council