A Society Dedicated to Preserving and enhancing the environment of the Stour and Orwell AONB

Members Newsletter No 4 – July 2008

NATS/Stansted 

Boundary changes for the Shotley Peninsular 

The Boundary Commission has issued guidance on new unitary local government for Norfolk and Suffolk. The proposing to merge the services of both County and District Councils into one body.  With this newsletter we enclose a plan (CLICK TO SEE PLAN) that was proposed by the Boundary Committee on the 7 July and responses are required by the 26 September.  After this the Committee will consider responses before making a final recommendation to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government by 31 December 2008.  The changes are proposed to be enacted by March 2010. 

The Boundary Committee has decided that Suffolk should have two unitary authorities, one covering Ipswich, Felixstowe and the Shotley Peninsular and another covering the rest of Rural Suffolk apart from Lowestoft which will be linked to a new Norfolk Unitary Authority. 

The review in Suffolk is being headed by Max Caller the Chairman for the Boundary Committee for England who has a personal knowledge of Suffolk and who lives near Woodbridge.

 

The 69 page report is on their website

 www.electoralcommission.org.uk                                    

Section 6 being the draft proposal for Suffolk.  Your committee will be considering this and making a representation to the Boundary Committee but our initial feeling is that the proposal defies logic.  The Boundary Committee seems only to give two reasons for the Shotley Peninsular to be included in the proposed Ipswich and Felixstowe Unitary Authority as thus: 

i           “We note planning development is taking place within the Shotley Peninsular which we believe will have a stronger focus on Ipswich than with the remaining Suffolk area.”

ii           “We consider that this areas  inclusion is necessary to provide for effective service delivery.”

 There would appear to be no other reason given in the report as to why it would be beneficial to the Shotley Peninsular to be lumped with Ipswich and Felixstowe other than to provide the proposed Authority with a large enough council tax base to make it sustainable.  It is difficult to understand so far why the Shotley Peninsular should not be considered part of the Rural Suffolk Unitary Authority.  

 

 Remember - 2010 Babergh District Council will be gone forever whatever the final outcome.  The choice for us to consider is either one Unitary Council for the whole of Suffolk or Rural Suffolk and Ipswich/Felixstowe Unitary Authorities.

 Your committee would welcome your views as we formulate our response to be issued in September but it will be important for us all to comment directly to the Boundary Committee the details are:

i)          Responses to the draft proposals can be made by filling in an online form at www.boundarycomittee.org.uk 

ii)          In writing to:       Review Manager

                                    ( Norfolk & Suffolk Review)

                                    The Boundary Committee for England

                                   Trevelyan Hose

                                    Great Peter Street

                                    London          SW1P 2HW

 

i)         Email:    reviews@boundarycommittee.org.uk

NATS – New Flight Paths

Due to the volume of responses, NATS extended the period of consultation from the 22^nd of May to the 19^th of June. I would like to think that we members of SOS were in part instrumental in bringing the extension about with our individual letters! Now we can only wait and hope that due notice will be taken of our views. In addition to your individual letters, the text of the ‘official observations’ made by SOS can be seen on our website.  NATS response to the consultation will be set out in a report due out on 22 July. 

BAA Second Runway Application

There has now been an application from BAA for a second runway at Stansted and this issue will be dealt with separately from the air traffic control and routing issues. We are liaising with the Dedham Vale Society and with Suffolk County Council in order to prepare a reasoned and co-ordinated response to this further challenge. In due course we will again provide information and advice to members as how best to ensure that our opinions can be presented to ensure maximum effectiveness.  We have been contacted by Stop Stansted Expansion who have asked that any members who fear the worsening of over flying at Stansted by the increase in the size of Stansted Airport to that of Heathrow today should write to Uttlesford District Council by 26th September  

To help members we have enclosed a detailed information sheet provided by Stop Stansted Expansion which can be accessed from the website.(CLICK TO OPEN PAGE)

AGM 

The Annual General meeting was held on the 3^rd of April. The attendance was, down on last years 65 members and this may well have been due to the fact that it took place during the school Easter holiday period. Despite this, the debates that took place on major current issues were of high quality. The draft minutes will shortly be posted on the website for your perusal. For next year we will mail details of the AGM to our membership to ensure nobody is missed out.

 

Summer Event and Christmas Party

Your Committee had in mind to hold a summer event in order to build on the success of the Christmas Party. However, it was decided that we should focus on the more important matter of dealing with the air traffic issues and not to overstretch our limited resources. There will be other years for summer events. We are already looking ahead, though, and we will be holding our Christmas Party for this year in co-operation with the IpswichHigh School for Girls at Woolverstone Hall on the 5^th of December – please put the date in your diaries now.

 

A Young Members Section

Your Committee has been considering the possibility of creating a ‘Young Members Section’ and to forge links with the schools on the Peninsula so that we can ensure long-term continuity of the Society. To this end Rodney Chadburn attended a conference on Global Warming organised by the sixth formers at IpswichHigh School at which Jonathan Porritt delivered the keynote address. Susanna Bishop, who is a member of staff at the High School, took the opportunity to circulate a questionnaire to attendees in order to ascertain the possible degree of interest among younger people in becoming involved with SOS in some way. The questionnaire also did the rounds at HolbrookHigh School where a similar event was organised. We will use the results of this to decide how to encourage younger people to join SOS.

SOS Website

Our website continues to develop. This is now accumulating more and more information that will be of interest to members. There are also direct links to other organisations that have a common aim with us in protecting and enhancing our environment in a changing world. I strongly recommend that you visit the website at www.stourandorwellsociety.org.uk and please let us have your

comments so that we can improve it in order best to promote the Society’s aims and objectives.

Beachwatch 2008

Last year we were rather late in bringing Beachwatch to you attention but this year we can give you plenty of advance notice. This year’s beach cleanup will take place on Saturday 20^th and Sunday 21^st of September. The full text of a letter from the organiser, Lynn Allen of the SuffolkCoast and Heaths Unit, is posted on the website. Please go there so that you can get details of how to take an active part in this very worthwhile annual effort.

Rodney Chadburn

Honorary Secretary, The Stour and Orwell Society