Agenda and draft minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Jones and County Councillor Bridgeman.

Apologies for lateness were received from Councillor Holmes.

**Note: This minute was subsequently updated at the meeting held on 12 March 2025

Resolved:

that the Minutes of the meeting held on 30 October 2024 be signed as a true record.

Resolved:

that the Order of Business be confirmed as printed on the Agenda.

There were no declarations of interest.

Residents are encouraged to ask questions at Area Committee meetings. Questions will be answered by an appropriate Officer or Councillor.

To ask a question, residents simply need to email areacommitteequestions@ipswich.gov.uk including their name and address, a contact telephone number, their question, and which Area Committee they wish the question to be asked at. We ask that questions be submitted by 10am two working days before the day of the meeting in order that relevant information can be brought to the committee; for this meeting the deadline is 10am on Monday 13 January 2025.

Questions may be asked by residents without prior notice having been given, with the permission of the Chair, however it may not be possible for an answer to be given at the meeting. Priority will however be given to those residents who have submitted questions in advance.

All questions must either be:

·       relevant to the area committee they are to be asked at, or;

·       relevant to Ipswich as a whole and be asked by a resident of the area covered by the committee it is to be asked at.

Please note that questions or representations must not contain:

·       references to identifiable individuals (whether by name or other information) unless the consent of that individual has been obtained and included with the notification;

·       potentially defamatory or provocative or abusive comments;

·       discriminatory remarks.

Please note that responses will not be provided where the question requires the disclosure of confidential or exempt information.

If for any reason a question which has been submitted in advance is not able to be asked at a meeting, the Council will, within 14 days of the meeting date, reply to the resident asking the question explaining why and if possible providing a written answer.

30.1.     A resident noted that they had previously asked a question to Suffolk County Council regarding the drains on Back Hamlet and advised that they had not received a response regarding where the waste/water goes from these drains. It was noted that a large number of vapes, with large lithium batteries, were still being discarded in the street which then ended up in the gullies. It was agreed that this would be forwarded to SCC for a response.

30.2.     A resident raised the possibility of installing noise cameras on Fore Street/Back Hamlet and advised that noise levels due to motorcycles often caused disturbance in this area and noise cameras could help pinpoint where the noise was coming from. It was noted that issues had been raised about speeding on Back Hamlet however, they had been advised by the Police that they were not concerned.

30.3.     Councillor Cook advised that legislation did not allow SCC to enforce traffic and that this could only be enforced by the Police whilst being physically present at the time. Speed cameras were installed on busy roads, and it was possible that a camera could be placed there however, this would depend on the availability of cameras and which roads had been prioritised as requiring them. Other measures could be implemented, such as physical barriers to reduce speeding, but this would be the responsibility of SCC Highways. Councillor Cook agreed to refer the matter to County Councillor Farrow to follow up. County Councillor Richards noted that other measures such as ‘narrowing’ the roads could be considered as an option to slow down traffic however, this was very costly and would likely not be possible to implement at this time.

30.4.     It was discussed that poor driving and dangerous driving was often the issues and although it was low down on the Police’s priorities, it was worth noting any incidents and reporting them. It was agreed that the issues regarding speeding would be raised with the Police at the next Central Neighbourhood Partnership Group.

30.5.     County Councillor Richards reported that the PCC Tim Passmore had emphasised the need to report every incident of ASB on the Suffolk Police website to ensure the levels of this could be seen by the Police.

31.1.     Apologies for absence were received by the Police.

32.1.     The Chair confirmed that there were no actions to update from the previous meeting.

33.1.     Councillor Cook reported that a number of housing matters had been considered recently. Some issues had been raised relating to rubbish/fly tipping which was particularly an issue in the town centre due to the high footfall and density of people, and it was noted that IBC were very quick at responding to reports of this. Two people had recently been fined for fly tipping and residents were advised to photograph any littering/fly tipping and reporting this to the Council who would resolve the matter quickly, and issue a fixed penalty notice when the perpetrator was found.

33.2.     Councillor Kreidewolf reported that he was currently dealing with 7 cases related to housing issues and noted that the majority of these were due to issues in the private rental market. It had taken a year for the barrier to be replaced at the Civic Drive Roundabout following the removal of a section of railings to allow for wide loads to pass through the town, but this had now been reinstated and the Subway outside Tesco had reopened before Christmas.

33.3.     Councillor Kreidewolf explained that the TRO on Berners Street continued to be considered. Parking was an issue in this street and although Ipswich Borough Council’s Parking Enforcement team could enforce against specific restrictions, they could not enforce against cars parking on pavements and causing obstructions as this remained the responsibility of the Police. Once the TRO was introduced this would include additional yellow lines which would free up the Highway for pedestrians. It was confirmed that a new Portuguese delicatessen had recently opened up on Norwich Road which was a vibrant in the town with lots of interesting shops.

33.4.     Councillor Gibbs referred to the issues raised at the previous meeting regarding electric bikes on the highway and the high speeds they were driven at. This was dangerous and the law would need to change to address these issues. It was hoped that the introduction of AI might support and address this and other challenges around activity on the road.

33.5.     Drug activity in the park behind Holly Lodge on Little Bramford Lane had increased and this had been raised with the Police.

33.6.     A TRO was due to be introduced in Westgate Street which would hopefully address the issues of people parking cars where they shouldn’t.

33.7.     Councillor I Lockington explained that she had contacted Ipswich Borough Council regarding the clearing of leaves from pavements and was informed that the policy was to only clean the roads for leaves once a year however, it was hoped that this would be reconsidered for areas where there were high volumes of leaves. It was noted that litter could be an issue especially with regards to HMO’s as it was not possible to identify the person responsible.

33.8.     The TRO at the bottom of Christchurch Street was expected to be introduced shortly to help alleviate problems there.

33.9.     Councillor T Lockington echoed the concerns raised regarding electric bikes and advised that there was  ...  view the full minutes text for item 33.

34.1.     Lisa Stannard, Head of Parks & Cemeteries, confirmed that the Central Area Committee had £12,416.80 available to spend on its own priorities.

34.2.     Councillor I Lockington asked if there was anything within parks which could be funded within this area. Ms Stannard confirmed that this would be considered.

Resolved:

that the financial statement in Appendix 1 to the report be noted.

Reason: To provide clear and transparent details of the amount of funds available to the Area Committee to deliver the priorities in its Action Plan.

Wednesday 12 March 2025, 7pm at Zoar Baptist Church.

The Chair reported that the next meeting was scheduled for Wednesday 12 March 2025 7pm at Zoar Baptist Church, St Helen’s Street.