Published:
4:59 PM February 3, 2021
Jack Owen, the mayor of Sudbury, and Frank Minns, mayor of Hadleigh, have written an open letter to Babergh cabinet members to ask them to postpone a decision on car parking charges.
- Credit: Charlotte Bond
An open letter has been written urging Babergh cabinet members to reconsider making a decision on the slashing of free parking in the district, following concerns it would make the recovery from Covid-19 more difficult.
Hadleigh Town Council and Sudbury Town Council have penned the letter to Babergh District councillors following a swathe of public backlash over its plans to cut free parking from three hours to one hour, a slight improvement on the original 30 minutes suggested.
Posted: Jan 27, 2021 11:11 PM ET | Last Updated: January 28
People with lived experiences of being homeless will be sharing their thoughts and suggestions about the issue at a special city council meeting Thursday January 29th.(Erik White/CBC)
Sudbury City Council held a special meeting Wednesday evening to discuss the homelessness crisis in the city.
Dozens of service providers had an opportunity to share their concerns and possible solutions at the virtual meeting.
Many expressed concern that the pandemic is causing an already dire problem to get worse.
Organization leaders say it puts a spotlight on the inequities that exist in our community as the already vulnerable population continues to suffer.
Councils began discussing plans for a strategic lorry route to avoid Halstead back in February last year. It was hoped the plans would see HGVs diverted away from the town after numerous complaints from residents. Lorries often travel along the A131 through Halstead between Braintree and Sudbury. Head Street is a pinch-point with large vehicles sometimes finding it difficult to navigate the narrow road and mini-roundabouts causing traffic problems, leading to gridlock. Residents say they are often left with large lorries and trailers just inches away from their front doors, leading to concerns over the health impact of exhaust fumes.
“Why if this was a bad idea in the past is it suddenly a good idea now?”
Ian Grutchfield, who runs the Hadleigh Old School venue, said the three hour free parking had been beneficial for customers, and has resigned from the Invest in Hadleigh group in protest.
He said: “It was noted that free car parking is one of the economic advantages that businesses in our town - and Sudbury, Lavenham, East Bergholt, etc have.
“At a time of recession the policy will be destructive and cause harm to lots of my friends in the town, and to sneak the proposal through at Christmas is underhand.”
Belle Vue House in Sudbury could be sold off under new plans
- Credit: Sarah Lucy Brown
Town councillors have criticised what they described as a lack of consultation over a vision to dispose of part of Sudbury s iconic Belle Vue Park.
Sudbury Town Council held extraordinary meeting on Monday to discuss Babergh District Council s plans to dispose of Belle Vue House and much of the former swimming pool site in the park.
The site is currently being marketed, with bids set to be reviewed in the new year.
An advert announcing the site s sale suggested that, subject to planning conditions, the area could be used for offices, residential properties, a hotel or more.