SOCS and those who have been actively involved in the proposals and negotiations for the North Fringe for 13 years have concerns about Mr Gummer's quote in the East Anglian Daily Times yesterday.
Save Our Country Spaces (SOCS) wish to know why Mr Gummer has stated in the EADT 22nd December, "First-time house buyers warned climbing property ladder in 2016 will be a ‘harder challenge’",
“We have just identified space for another 2,500 houses in Ipswich in addition to the 5,000 to be built on the Northern Fringe and the important thing is to start building quality development so that we can provide new houses, especially starter homes, and homes for young families.”
The Ipswich Borough Council Core Strategy (main modifications), Regulation 22 (3) of the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012, which was formally submitted on the 14th December, clearly stated,
"CS10 Ipswich Garden Suburb- The detailed infrastructure requirements of the development of approximately 3,500 dwellings at the Garden Suburb ……..”
How can Mr Gummer suggest an altered density from 3,500 to 5000 houses (an increase of 43%)? Where did he source his figures? We thought he wanted quality development and good urban design, not urban cramming. The proposed Submission for the Core Strategy consultation in March 2015 received 1,090 returns amounting to 9325 representations. Many of the representations were from Ipswich residents who objected to the proposals, mainly as they considered the level of proposed growth to be unrealistic and the impacts potentially too harmful.
Yet, undeterred in the article, Mr Gummer also went on to optimistically state,
“The good news is that Ipswich is developing and I think we should celebrate the fact that Ipswich is now a much more prosperous place.”
Really? How so? It certainly doesn’t feel more prosperous to may of the hundreds of Ipswich residents who responded to the Local Plan consultation. How can Ipswich be “more prosperous” if it fails to secure jobs growth required to match housing growth?
The Core Strategy modestly states that Ipswich Borough,
‘.. will encourage the provision of approximately 12,500 jobs in the Borough between 2011 and 2031…'
Analysis indicates there has been little appreciable jobs growth in Ipswich for years, even in the bloom years pre-2007, so where is the balance and sustainable approach? There is little the Borough can realistically do about this job growth problem, especially in light of the Suffolk County Council proposed cuts to services and jobs.
But, it appears Mr Gummer may have something up his sleeve. Being seasonal, perhaps Santa will help and supply Mr Gummer with a magic prosperity wand this Christmas?
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