Freedom March Ipswich - HMS Quorn

I love these events, welcoming our heroes into our town - wild horses won't keep me away!

A Freedom March through Ipswich will add to the festive bustle of the town centre later this month when HMS Quorn pays an official visit.

The Royal Navy warship has been affiliated to Ipswich for five years and received the Freedom of the Borough in 2011. Now, the crew will exercise its right to march through the town centre in a spectacle of sound and colour.

Captain and 45-strong crew of the Hunt class minesweeper will be welcomed to Ipswich by the Mayor, Councillor Bill Quinton, who will inspect the ship’s company on the Cornhill.

Details of the visit will be released by the Royal Navy over the next few days.

The Mayor said: “It is always a proud occasion for Ipswich to officiate at any event to honour our Armed Services and HMS Quorn is particularly close to our hearts. I am sure many, many residents and visitors will take a break from their Christmas shopping to cheer the crew as they parade through the town centre. Let us show our Royal Navy friends what a real Ipswich welcome looks and sounds like.”

During the visit, HMS Quorn will be open to organised tours of the public and the crew will be taking part in community sports events to build on the close relationship with the town. More details will be released closer to the time of the visit.

HMS Quorn is the third Royal Navy ship to carry the name – the first served in the First World War, while the second was a destroyer sunk in the Second World War. The current ship was launched in 1988.

Issued by the IBC press office, tel: 01473 432035

Latest Stoke Park Ipswich Leaflet

Our latest Conservative In Touch for the Stoke Park area has been delivered today to relevant areas:

Fountains Road
Annbrook Road
Cambridge Drive area

There's some information about 20s plenty and a new activity centre, which I instigated following comments from residents about the difficulty of travelling to a community centre from the Cambridge drive area. So hopefully now, with one situated on the doorstep, it will be well attended.

Executive and The Local Plan consultation

Last night at the executive we voted to send The Core Strategy and Site Allocation Policy out for consultation.

This is an interesting, well written report that is important to our town and has already seen a consultation.

However it is massive and unless people are pointed in the right direction and helped to dissect it all, it will not be on the top of peoples agenda.

This final consultation will be over 12 weeks and I asked if we were going to send out to schools and focus groups as well as public meetings.

The reply was not what I expected and apparently we already consult very well (not sure Ravenswood residents and others would agree with this) and my request was all but swept aside.

See more here in Ipswich Spy's report

http://ipswichspy.com/story/politics/item/3258-ibc-executive-votes-to-send-local-plan-to-consultation

However I was quite pleased that councillor Jones apologised genuinely afterwards for being patronising, when I asked for proactive consultation. I don't think she knows she's doing it actually and, as I rather like her, it was immediately accepted.

Councillor Smart showed his agreement ie 'has some sympathy' with my request for schools to be involved, which then made councillor Jones give a vague undertaking that this could be looked at with e-mails being sent out to various schools.

After close of business, Councillor Jones also said she likes me being on executive as it made everyone up their game. This was in fact the reason I accepted the position because I wanted to up my game as leader of the Conservative group.

So despite a bit of tetchiness during the meeting there was actually some mutual respect and appreciation shown afterwards.

We are, after all, just trying to do a good job for the town, even if we disagree on many aspects of the 'How we do it'.