Labour challenges Ipswich public toilet closures

A brief respite for two town centre public conveniences slated for closure has been won by Labour councillors. The closure decision will now be debated at a public meeting on 16th September.

The decision to close the toilets at both Tower Ramparts and Cattle Market bus stations was taken by an individual member of the Council executive, Councillor Inga Lockington. The closure decision calls for demolition with no new alternative. The report with the decision states that funds will come from the Transport Major Scheme – Ipswich Fit for the 21st Century, despite this being subject to Government review.

Labour councillors have protested that no consultation has taken place with disability groups, the bus operators or shops and pubs affected.

Ipswich’s Murray Road Rec hit by Tory playground cuts

Labour Councillors in the Priory Heath area of Ipswich are up in arms after plans to upgrade the play area at Murray Road recreation ground fell victim to Government cuts. A grant for £50,000 to transform the play area has been withheld after the Playbuilder programme was scrapped.

The £235m Playbuilder scheme was launched two years ago by the Labour government. It was set up to develop 3,500 playgrounds designed by, and for, the communities they were to serve. Chantry Park has had a great new play area through the scheme.

Hundreds of community playground schemes in England are being axed or scaled back because of the Government cuts. Education Secretary Michael Gove has frozen grants to 132 councils for building and running up to 1,300 schemes, many designed by youngsters.

Labour’s Ipswich councillors concerned about classroom cuts

Labour councillors are deeply worried about the effect that Government cuts could have on Ipswich Schools. The Coalition Government has already frozen spending on Building Schools for the Future and, in the Budget, George Osborne has announced a 25% cut in funds for the Education department. The new school for Holywells and vital improvements to Chantry High School are at risk if funding is frozen.

Labour has tabled a Council Motion:

“This Council is deeply concerned about reports that funding may be withdrawn for the Building Schools for the Future programme and calls on the Government to honour the previous Labour Government’s commitment to rebuild or refurbish every secondary school in Ipswich.”

Labour Councillor Bryon Rudkin, who tabled the motion, said: “The new Coalition Government is pushing money to the most vocal with its ‘Free Schools’ but it must invest where need is greatest.

Ipswich’s £3.5m housing cuts sent back to the drawing board

Ipswich Borough Council’s plans to cut £3.5m from its housing budget have been dealt a blow as an all-party committee of councillors sent them back to the drawing board.

The committee was shocked to learn that Ipswich Borough Council’s Executive was prepared to enter into a massive contract with a firm of consultants to deliver the savings, without possessing even basic information about the project.

It emerged during a meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee that:

* Only two Executive councillors knew the full details of the contract – but neither of them was present at the meeting that made the decision.

* There was no breakdown of how the £3.5m savings were to be made,leaving Executive councillors with no idea whether that figure was realistic.

* No justification was provided for the level of the consultants’ fees.

Labour blasts Ipswich Borough Council over £3.5m cuts secrecy

Ipswich Borough Council has been attacked over a “wall of secrecy” surrounding plans to make £3.5m “savings” in the council’s housing services.

Conservative and Liberal Democrat councillors took an “in principle” decision to go ahead with the massive savings programme at a behind-closed-doors meeting on Tuesday 7th October. A similar commitment was also made to pay consultants a substantial fee to deliver this programme. Before any discussion took place, councillors voted to ban members of the press and public from the meeting.

The Executive has even refused to release the report detailing what the cuts it plans to make to other councillors. Only those Conservative and Liberal Democrat councillors who are on the Executive were allowed to see the report under conditions of strict security. In a bizarre twist it has also emerged that the leader of the Liberal Democrats was not even allowed to see the report.

Labour calls for investigation into Ipswich Council’s £5m Icelandic bank losses

Labour councillors have today called for an urgent investigation into the circumstances surrounding Ipswich Borough Council’s £5m losses resulting from its loans to collapsed Icelandic banks.

Labour councillors want the investigation to focus on:

* Were the council’s investment procedures followed correctly?

* What impact this loss could have on council services?

* What steps have been taken to minimise future risks?