I’m afraid it is now pretty certain that the promised traffic lights on Bishops Hill will happen. I attended a very heated meeting on Monday night at Endeavour House where officers and Cnty Cllr Graham Newman gave presentations on the proposed new UTMC (Urban traffic management control) and RTPI (real time passenger information) system to Councillors. As most of us guessed when we saw cabling going in last week this is both for the lights and the RTPI bus stops some of which will go live in February. An example was used that the UTMC system will allow growth in Ipswich without snarling it up and compared this with the hopeless situation that exists in Colchester. The traffic signals will talk to each other thus allowing a responsible and flexible way of managing traffic flows. With the Bishops Hill traffic lights the consultation will revolve around the benefits and dis-benefits of this scheme. Will holding back 10 cars at the top of the Hill allow and easier flow at the bottom and further into town? I doubt it.
For your information stakeholders – that’s some of you – will receive a letter to take part in the consultation and there will be a display at Tower Ramparts as well as information on the Suffolk County Council Travel Ipswich website.
There will be traffic lights at Woodbridge Road / Argyle Street junction with problems envisaged with Lorries coming down Woodbridge Road and turning into Argyle Street and therefore positioning of the lights is in discussion. The Norwich Road / Chevalier Street proposal will not happen engineers have confirmed that it would not work and therefore a series of pedestrian crossings will go in (just to make it more difficult for drivers!) So with great delight the Officers told the Councillors that the Felixstowe / Nacton Road lights will happen and will cause minimal interruption to outbound traffic and that the gating inbound will hold back 10 cars at any one time. Hill starts on Bishops Hill was dismissed as not a problem and I was told it is no worse than the London Road incline!!!!
There was a very heated argument with all Councillors from all parties against the Bishops Hill proposal and all I can say is that there was some kind of promise that if enough of us complained then they might consider it not happening. I’m afraid unless you all make representation it will happen.
I will continue to fight on your behalf – all of you who responded to the survey sometime ago now – these responses are now with the County Council. Please try and keep in touch through the SCC website and by going to the Tower Rampart presentation and make as much fuss as you can. You are welcome to send me your views which I will send on to Ctty Cllr Newman who might agree to having a display in Rosehill Road Library. We shall see.
Sorry I can’t be more positive.
Liz Harsant │ Councillor │ Holywells Ward
Tel: 07789 684153
Email: cllrharsant@btconnect.com