Issue 184 Newsletter July 2011
Contents:
• Editorial: A Great Past
• New Members
• Heritage Open Days
• Winter Lectures to Enjoy
• Ipswich Society Awards 2011
• IBC'S Core Strategy
• Some Shorts
• Planning Matters Large & Small
• Annual General Meeting
• Suffolk Preservation Society
• Engaging with Young People
• Big Society and Localism
• A Wet Dock Crossing?
• New Bridge at the Station
• Adam Gordon (1934-2011)
• Puzzling over the Mansion
• Building a Gable Warmer
• Waterfront Attractions (2)
• Questions about High Streets
• Letters to the Editor
• Down and Out on the Orwell
• News & Comment
• Touring the Olympic Sites
• Tourist Guides in Ipswich
• Petitions from Suffolk
• The Cobbold Blue Plaque
• Roads, at a Price
• Where you paid Tolls
• Outings and Events
Editorial: A Great Past
'Made in Ipswich' was the title of the Town Lecture given by Brian Dyes on 12 May. It was a
masterly survey of manufacturing in Ipswich from Saxon times to the present day. With less than an
hour to cover a huge amount of material, he chose to concentrate almost exclusively on the
remarkable achievements of the two Ransomes firms. That meant short shrift for medieval
shipbuilding and for distinguished companies like E R & F Turner, Cocksedge's, Reavell's and
Crane's, omissions which might have disappointed former employees of those firms. But the result
was that Mr Dyes could revel in describing the design and production of Ransomes, Sims and
Jefferies' ploughs, lawn mowers, threshing machines, tractors, forklift trucks, trolley buses, aircraft
and combine harvesters - and Ransome and Rapier's whole range of railway products, concrete
mixers, sluice gates and cranes, culminating in the gigantic walking dragline.
ike many Ipswich Society members, I already knew some of this but by no means all. However, I
came away with two persistent general impressions. One was the knowledge that this work was not
merely routine mass production but in several cases world class pioneering invention which
depended on some brilliant engineers backed up by first class apprentice training. The other
realisation was that these companies were not running down but perhaps at their peak when I came
to live in Ipswich in 1957. And yet to me, living in N W Ipswich and quite close to the town centre,
what was going on around the docks and in the east of the town was not very noticeable, almost part
of another world.
So even in the 1950s there was little obvious synergy between the docks and the town centre to
many residents like me. (It wouldn't have been the case in previous centuries of course when people
lived close to their places of work.) But that' division' is still apparent today - probably more so.
Hence the Master Plan which I referred to in my April Editorial- the joint effort by Ipswich Central
and IBC to promote an ambitious vision of linking up Ipswich's unique potential attraction, the
Waterfront, with the town centre. Your Executive Committee was pleased to learn more about this at
a meeting with Mr Richard Turner, Property Surveyor for Ipswich Central. How much of this
possible development of shops, houses, public spaces and a new comprehensive bus station could
take place in the foreseeable future is anybody's guess. But the strategy has much to commend it -
and Ipswich has seldom stood still!
Other articles in this Newsletter show the variety of activities and achievements in Ipswich at
present, as well as concerns being expressed by our members about problems actual and potential. I
hope you will read on and find much to mull over.
Please let me have contributions to the next issue by 20 August. More and more members are
responding to this ever-open invitation. I think it makes the Newsletter a vehicle for the whole
Society and perhaps less predictable.
Neil Salmon
Heritage Open Days
The Society will again be organising Ipswich's contribution to this national, in fact Europe-wide,
event. Details have not been finalised at the time of going to press but there will be many venues
which will open their doors to interested members of the public free of charge. All information will
be published in the leaflets which the Society provides. They will be available from mid-August at
the Tourist Information Centre, museums and libraries.
Although it is difficult to keep adding new venues to our list, some are well worth a second look
and some you might have missed in the past. However, if you have visited almost everything
previously there are two other aspects of Heritage Open Days to consider - you might collect a
leaflet and encourage friends to go; or you might visit Norwich or Colchester for example and enjoy
what they have to offer. (London's Open Days are usually a week earlier.) If you do stay in Ipswich,
don't forget to pay your respects to Thomas Wolsey at Curs on Plain on your way to St Peter's
Church; he wasn't here last year.
Winter Lectures
To be held in Methodist Church, Museum Street (entrance Black Horse Lane) at 7.30 pm.
12 October 'Ipswich's Business Improvement District' by William Coe and Paul Clement.
William Coe is the Chairman and Paul Clement the Chief Executive of Ipswich BID, a company set
up by IBC to manage and improve the environment of the town centre and business opportunities
there.
14 December 'Getting Wolsey's Statue in its Place' by Dr John Blatchly
Dr Blatchly, formerly Headmaster of Ipswich School, is a local historian, guide and enthusiastic
champion of Medieval Ipswich - as many members know.
11 January 'Sherrington, Ipswich's Most Eminent Son' by Dr Michael Cook
Dr Michael Cook was a Consultant Anaesthetist at Ipswich Hospital; Sir Charles Sherrington's
discoveries are a central part of the knowledge of the modern anaesthetist.
15 February 'Producing and Distributing Electricity for Suffolk' by Dr Michael Coleman
Dr Coleman has now retired from managing Sizewell and Bradwell nuclear power stations. A
nuclear physicist by training, he was Chairman of Sussex Preservation Society.
14 March 'Managing Suffolk's Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty' by Nick Collinson
Nick Collinson manages The Suffolk Heaths and Coast AONB to which he is adding the Dedham
Vale AONB, hopefully to be extended in the near future.
Ipswich Society Awards 2011
Please feel free to nominate new buildings or new improvement schemes on the separate sheet
enclosed with this Newsletter. This is one of the most important activities of the Society's year to
which any member can contribute. In fact, members' involvement in observing changes in the town
is particularly valuable because you may have noticed things in your own part of town which
committee members don't know about. Our judges will go and look at all nominations - before all
will be revealed in November's special meeting.
IBC's Core Strategy
Some snippets of information from the ongoing examination in public.
How many housing units does Ipswich need and how many of those should be 'greenfield' family
homes rather than apartments on 'brownfield' sites? This of course is a vital question for the
Examination into the soundness of the Core Strategy for the future development of Ipswich, an on-
going public debate in which The Ipswich Society has been involved.
The immediate difficulty is that Ipswich is constrained by old Victorian boundaries, whereas
developers, the house buying public and most of the lay population see Ipswich as a bigger
conurbation (to include, for example, Kesgrave and Pinewood). The Regional Strategy had the
advantage of including these peripheral residential areas in its thought process and
recommendations, whereas the Local Development Framework is solely for the Borough.
The other debate is the perennial chicken and egg question, which should come first in the growth
stakes - houses or jobs? The developers argue (because they simply want to build and sell) that the
houses must come first; employers will not move into an area without available labour. The counter
argument is that building houses speculatively simply attracts residents who then commute to
existing jobs elsewhere. This is certainly true at Ravenswood, which is conveniently placed
adjacent to Junction 57 of the A14 and jobs in Martlesham, Felixstowe and north Essex.
Thus we start playing the numbers game on the only sizeable plot left to develop in Ipswich - the
Northern Fringe, between Henley and Westerfield Roads north of the by-pass. And again we can
debate how far north this new estate should stretch. As far as the railway, as far as the Borough
boundary or into Westerfield itself? Different developers own or have taken options on the different
fields within this large area and are bending their arguments to ensure their plot is essential to the
working of the Framework.
The Ipswich Society's position on this is clear. We support the development of the Northern Fringe
but with some essential conditions. Piecemeal development of small plots does nothing for
infrastructure, community facilities or transport links. A planned development of, say, 1500 housing
units could include (as a planning condition) a primary school, doctors' surgery, contributions to
establishing public transport and off-site road improvements.
This is why The Ipswich Society opposed the proposed developments by Ipswich School on their
playing field site and Mersea Homes on their site immediately east, adjacent to Westerfield Road.
We are not against building homes on either of those sites (given that the case is proved that
Ipswich needs to build 10,000+ new homes over the next 20 years) but there must be a Master Plan
for the entire development and the various developers must contribute their fair share to the
infrastructure and community facilities.
Part of the on-going debate at the Examination is how many homes in total should the Northern
Fringe accommodate (hence the 'how many jobs' question). Crest Nicholson with land interests
north of the railway are suggesting a number considerably higher than 1500. Thus when 'retail' was
discussed at the Examination they suggested a supermarket rather than a local centre would be
essential (think Tesco Kesgrave). The Examination re-convenes at about the same time as this
Newsletter is published, so watch this space.
John Norman, Vice-Chairman
Some Shorts
Suffolk One, the new sixth form centre on London Road but just outside the Borough, was awarded
'Best Educational building' in the 2011 East Anglia Building Excellence Awards. It features solar
water heating and a ground heat recovery system.
St Mary at the Elms Church is being lovingly restored after the fire which broke out in its early
Tudor tower in July of last year. Scaffolding fills the interior space so that the wooden beams and
plaster of the roof can be restored. Church services continue to be held in this, one of the most
homely of our twelve medieval churches.
Giles Circus should be a leafy new public space. But the five semi-mature trees planted last year
show results of the drought. The tree nearest to Butter Market is thriving because that's the way the
drainage flows. The others are under-nourished. More loving care needed?
Azerbaijan won the European Song Contest. Will its Olympic team, based in and practising in
Ipswich, break out into song as they explore and enjoy our town centre?
Suffolk Youth Theatre was one of the region's truly outstanding cultural assets with its productions
at the New Wolsey Theatre directed by Michael Platt. Metamorphosis, put on earlier than usual and
at Dance East, was its last full-scale production because of withdrawal of funding. Sadly, the shape
of things to come?
Ipswich Town Centre Walking Map should be a great help to visitors - and useful to locals as
well? It emphasises the north-south axis to show the proximity of the Waterfront to the town centre.
Rightly, it includes the Museum and the Mansion, but being on a large scale has to exclude Portman
Road and DCS/Suffolk New College. Copies at the TIC and some shops.
A 'vintage market' was held on the Waterfront on Sunday, 15 May; it proved a popular attraction
(photo below). Such events help to assure the public that this is a developing and changing part of
the town. Look out for publicity about the ambitious Maritime Festival on 21-22 August, organised
by IBC and with many participants.
Planning Matters
Rights of Way around the Wet Dock
In the April issue I was able to report in haste the summary of the Inspector's decisions as the paper
only came through the letter box on the very last day of the last deadline. Thus whilst it is true that
the Inspector confirmed a Right of Way along the north side of the Wet Dock, it is as a Restricted
Byway and not as a Byway Open to All Traffic (a BOAT). The effect of this, which was not sought
by anyone, is to prevent all mechanically propelled vehicles from using it as a through route.
47 Key Street and Slade Street
Trevor Home's fine mixed development, probably the best plans we have seen for the Waterfront,
are not commercially viable in the present economic climate. The current proposals for a mixed
development for 405 students, a student venue, medical centre, crêche, retail, launderette and other
ancillary accommodation will have a good chance of coming to fruition with the support of the
University and the site owners' desire to get some income from the site. The Jewish cemetery and
the Tudor Barn will be enhanced by an improved public space with through pedestrian passage from
the Fore Street end to the Custom House. Considerable work needs to be done to the plans of the
new building at the north and south end of the F ore Street elevation. There is also considerable
objection in allowing the 14 storey student block.. Many feel that this height is too much a block
back from the Wet Dock. However, economics will prevail, I fear, at this time and permission
granted.
Fison House, 159 Princes Street
Fison's 1958 headquarters, designed by Birkin Haward, has his signature use of pre-cast concrete V
and H forms as pillars and beams. Only three of the proposed four sides were built and thus it was
not deemed to be Listable by English Heritage and the 20th Century Society. In its present state it
has not been possible to let it as offices. The owners have therefore proposed that it should be clad,
a new floor added and a towerlet built as an entrance feature. Despite the objections of many
architects, Birkin Haward's sons, the 20th Century Society, our Society and the Conservation
Officer, the alterations have been granted permission, largely on economic grounds. We continue in
our objection to the alteration as a programme of restoration; the possible addition of the fourth side
would have achieved the same desirable economic aim without the loss to view of an important
mid-20th century building.
Music Building for Ipswich School, Holly Road
This proposal for a 204 seat recital room, rehearsal spaces and practice rooms with entrance foyer
and catering facilities has been designed by a specialist architect to sit on the multi-purpose sports
courts at the top of Holly Road behind Warrington Road. We do have some reservations about the
external design which is unprepossessing, the increased traffic to evening events and the possibility
of noise, together with the increase in density of buildings in what is currently a lung space.
However, there are many positive things to be said about the development and, on balance, we felt
it should not be objected to.
Reservoir site, Park Road
Once again the original fine plans have proved uneconomical to sell, so a fresh approach is to
demolish the reservoir, long disused, and build five detached 4-storey houses, modem in appearance
but in the characteristic late Victorian style. Their height will be disguised by the topography of the
site; and the ground floor, garage and utility will be largely hidden by the remnants of the existing
bund. This, assuming completion, would be a useful addition to this area of north Ipswich.
Car park, Russell Road
This application for a temporary car park for 117 spaces on an already concreted piece of land
between IBC's Grafton House and West End Road was refused. This is an important decision as it
reflects a recent policy change by the Borough in regards to temporary car parks in the town centre.
It is now felt that their recent proliferation to 2000 spaces (50% of the total available) has increased
traffic congestion and reduced the use of the Park and Ride schemes to the extent that the Bury
Road scheme has been withdrawn owing to the excessive subsidy required by Suffolk County
Council. Further, it may now be more profitable to use a site as a car park than develop it. The
Society, which formally objected to the scheme, strongly supports this new policy.
161 Woodbridge Road
The owner has already breached the front Victorian brick wall and in the process done such damage
to the root system of one preserved beech tree that it will have to be felled. Fortunately the other
tree will survive and, amazingly, he does not need permission to knock his wall down and create a
parking area at the front. But he does need planning permission for a dropped kerb and this has been
refused. He has perfectly adequate parking at the back with access from Lacey Street.
Examination in Public of Ipswich Borough Council's Core Strategy
The Inquiry has started and now stopped again. The aim is to determine whether the plans are
sound, not if you agree or disagree. The main contention is, in the cancellation of Regional Plans
and Targets for Houses and Jobs, should the number of houses be built whatever, or should we wait
for the jobs to come. This will run throughout the summer.
The Society will be in attendance and putting forward its published views.
Mike Cook
Annual General Meeting
The Society's AGM was held on Wednesday, 20 Apri1 2011 at University Campus Suffolk overseen
by our President, the Mayor of Ipswich, Councillor Jane Chambers, and our Chairman, Jack
Chapman. The minutes of the 2010 AGM, the Chairman's Report and the Society's accounts were
all approved. Retiring members of the Executive Committee, viz. John Norman (Vice-Chairman),
Mike Cook, Tom Gondris, Nei1 Salmon and Teresa Wiggin were all re-elected en bloc and Graham
Smith was newly elected replacing Su Marsden who did not stand for re-election. Full details of the
Committee are on the back page.
The appointment of two extra Vice-Presidents, Bob Allen and Chris Wiltshire, was recommended
by the Executive and warmly endorsed by the members. Both Bob and Chris have been Chairmen
of the Society and have presided over the Awards evenings.
Suffolk Preservation Society
Following the brief AGM, the Director of the Suffolk Preservation Society, Simon Cairns, gave a
very varied and well illustrated talk about the role of the SPS. He explained their long relationship
with our Society because we have so many interests in common, as reflected in the SPS motto,
'Respecting the Past and Shaping the Future’.
Representing a county-wide organisation, Mr Cairns naturally reminded us of the rich variety of our
large county with its 31 'landscape character areas', its villages and small towns, its coast (and
coastal erosion). The aims of 'Suffolk Going for Growth' presents challenges to the SPS, some of
them "alarming" -like new pylons (his bugbear!), wind turbines and possible large increases in
housing, which even in the scaled down form now still amounts to 8000 more in the next fifteen
years. Conserving the built environment will be even harder with cuts to councils' funds and to
English Heritage, the demise of CABE, and fewer grants.
He explained how SPS could help in its work of responding to planning applications (as our Society
does in Ipswich), providing design advice, promoting awareness of the special qualities of our
county and arranging conferences and awards for excellence. In his view the greatest threat is
complacency regarding the county's vulnerable landscape and the under-estimation of Suffolk's
buildings - he thinks that some buildings officially Listed elsewhere could be quite ordinary here -
and this applies also to the under-appreciation of our larger historic towns, certainly including
Ipswich.
Mr Cairns had many complimentary comments to make about Ipswich but amused us first by
describing the unfortunate impressions that a first time visiting motorist might have when driving
into the town from the A14/A140. "Where is this town centre - here at Barrack Corner? Crown
Street? Ah, here's High Street -this must be it? No, the next sign indicates Woodbridge. Have I
missed it?" On the other hand, for the observant pedestrian, Ipswich is marvellous - a very walkable
town centre ("not strung out like Norwich!") with a depth of urban heritage and quite different from
Bury. And although a lot must have been lost in the 1960s, he thinks much of the new is very good.
People in Suffolk who don't love Ipswich have views "not based on reality". SPS has arranged
successful visits to Ipswich, fully booked and repeated. One of his final thoughts concerned the
stalling of new developments, which he thinks may be no bad thing since too much was going on,
too quickly. But he concluded that Ipswich has the right mix of old and new and will go on re-
inventing itself.
Engaging with Young People
The Ipswich Society is keen to engage with young people and as a new member of the Executive
Committee I have been asked to assist in that initiative. The project is in its early stages and a
strategy has yet to be proposed and agreed.
However to make a start I made contact with Suffolk New College and found myself presenting the
work of the Society to a group of students undertaking their studies on the BTEC Extended
Diploma in Business.
Following the presentation the course tutor, Ian Howlett, kindly agreed to link one of the study units
with an area of interest to the Society - the future promotion of the town of Ipswich. The students
have identified a number of projects ranging from a new shopping centre to improvements to the
night-time venues.
An opportunity presented itself for two students, Amy Carpenter and P J Banjo (photo below), to
join me at a workshop with the Ipswich Central Town Centre Forum exploring future initiatives for
the Ipswich Central team to adopt and take forward. Both students took a full and active part in the
workshop making valuable contributions on behalf of young people. Carole Jones, an Ipswich
Borough Councillor on our table at the workshop, said, "Having the students on our table was a real
asset, Graham," and I entirely endorse that comment. They were a credit to themselves and Suffolk
New College.
I am hoping this success will lead to a long term relationship between the Society and Suffolk New
College. Certainly I have found that there is a wealth of knowledge and experience within the
Society that can be of value to young people interested in the past, present and future of Ipswich.
I would be pleased to hear from any school, college or other organisation that would like to discuss
opportunities for the Society to engage with young people.
Graham Smith
'Big Society' and Localism
'Community Engagement and the Big Society' was the theme of a conference in Durham last
September on which I reported in the January Newsletter. Soon afterwards one of the keynote
speakers, Prof Phil Redmond, very publicly withdrew from a flagship Big Society project in
Liverpool on the grounds that funding cuts had made delivery impossible. The Prime Minister has
since re-launched the Big Society for the third time in May after the Cabinet Office minister
responsible admitted that "We may have failed to articulate it clearly ... " So how difficult a concept
can it be, and where is the Big Society now? Can it still be a meaningful proposition without
substantial funding?
I therefore took the opportunity to represent our Society at a seminar on Big Society and Localism
held in Ely in May, to learn from those who are already actively involved. Views were mixed but
the conclusions were similar: anyone delivering services to the public, whether through local
authorities, charities or whatever, has to engage with this agenda. There is no other. But what it
really means and how (or whether) it will work is not yet clear.
Tony Burton, Director of Civic Voice, remained enthusiastic that newly-devolved powers to
produce Local Plans and Lists of Assets would bring greater influence over planning decisions to
local communities and Civic Societies such as ours, provided we engage with the Localism agenda;
but much remains to be clarified over the coming year. On the other hand, Neil Stott is Chief
Executive of Keystone Development Trust, which delivers social good while running businesses to
pay for it, and while he agrees that Big Society is an attractive concept and Localism is an agenda
with which Development Trusts have no choice but to engage, he doesn't yet see how they will add
anything new to what the Trusts are already doing. Indeed it is precisely the poorer communities in
need of public services who lack volunteers sufficiently rich in time and money to fill the void left
by public spending cuts and the suspension of Regional Development Agencies (RDAs). But if the
community does not engage, this will simply leave businesses to fill the void, raising the spectre of
privatisation by the back door, cherry-picking the juicy bits and leaving the rest to wither.
This brings us to the new Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) which are joint bodies brought
forward by local authorities but led by local businesses, which take the place of RDAs but without
the substantial funding enjoyed by their predecessors. Alex Plant is the interim Strategic Director
for a LEP covering Cambridge and Peterborough. He admitted that the loss of funding had led the
relevant media to dismiss LEPs as 'talking shops' and 'toothless tigers'. Rather, Alex described the
role of LE Ps as the re-balancing of the economy at local rather than regional level, between local
authorities, businesses and the Third Sector, and setting local priorities for transport and
infrastructure, economic development, employment and skills, housing, and so on. But to address
these requirements without RDAs and the Regional Spatial Strategies will be challenging,
particularly for matters which transcend local boundaries.
The picture which emerges from these different perspectives is that the Government spending cuts
are driving a re-balancing of the economy, to be focused at local level through the LEPs and the
Third Sector, but with outstanding uncertainties about how (or perhaps whether) the gaps left by the
cuts will be filled. At its most basic, if the Government's spending cuts leave important services at
risk, then the wherewithal to provide them will have to come from elsewhere, and that is perhaps
what defines the Big Society. But defining the Big Society as whatever fills the void left by the
retreating State does not define a solution, but is simply re-stating the problem. Little wonder that
there are difficulties in articulation and comprehension. Then again, if we aren't part of the solution,
are we part of the problem?.......... .. .in place of 'Passing the Buck' and NIMBYism?
From the foregoing standpoint, a way of gaining further insight into the Big Society might be to
consider issues local to Ipswich and Suffolk, many of which were enumerated by Simon Cairns,
Director of Suffolk Preservation Society in his presentation at our Society's AGM (which is reported
more fully in this Newsletter). Both Simon and our own Chairman, Jack Chapman, made clear that
both societies have interests in promoting respect for the past while shaping the future, and this
involves drawing some difficult balances. The Suffolk countryside is distinctly subtle and hence
susceptible to any development of any scale; but our economy is predicated on growth, which
means more people demanding more houses, more jobs and more infrastructure. This chimes with
the Ely seminar.
In the next ten years, much of our energy infrastructure will need to be replaced. In addition to the
relentless growth in our demand for energy, many power stations fuelled by nuclear, coal and gas
will reach the end of their operational life and will need to be replaced. And climate change will
demand greater use of renewables such as wind and wave power, and more nuclear. There are
already controversial proposals for wind turbine installations both on- and off-shore, not to mention
incinerators for generating energy from waste as landfill becomes landfull! Interestingly,
incinerators appear not to be part of the Localism agenda, since Kings Lynn appears destined to
have one in spite of local protests, and Great Blakenham may well go the same way. Likewise
nuclear power stations. But what of wind turbines, and more pylons carrying more power from
Sizewell? The Government's answer to the latter appears to be to invite proposals for more
aesthetically pleasing pylon designs. Many would prefer the cables to be buried, but would
excavation in swathes as wide as a dual carriageway be any less detrimental to the countryside,
quite apart from the expense? Who would welcome even higher energy bills?
But doesn't this point to the real problem, that no one is prepared to take responsibility for the
consequences of the choices we make? For years we have asked successive governments for more
and better services but lower taxes. And we expect them to solve the conundrum. They in turn have
perhaps offered the Big Society as the 'solution' -"if you want it, you provide it and pay for it,
because the public purse is empty." Likewise we want more energy, but we don't want the
countryside spoilt by pylons of turbines. So who will take responsibility when the lights go out?
Just as we want greater mobility and travel opportunities, but no more roads or airport runways. But
who takes the blame for the resulting congestion and the fragility of our transport network when
arteries become blocked?
In other words, preservation can quickly turn into stagnation unless a proper balance is drawn in
shaping the future. Simon Cairns urged that the greatest threat to the Suffolk landscape is
complacency. The Ely seminar warns that if communities do not engage in Localism then business
interests may well dictate the future. Any gardener knows that nature is good at creating wilderness,
but cultivation requires intervention to control pests and diseases in order to produce a valuable
harvest. Light-touch regulation seemed to create wealth, but this was illusory. The 'help yourselves'
bonus culture enjoyed by the financial services industry has given way to the 'help yourselves'
agenda of the Big Society. In paying for that mistake perhaps we will re-discover what elected
governments are really for, and take more collective responsibility for the consequences of our
choices rather than passing the buck, whether to the Government, to our neighbours, or to the next
generation.
Or perhaps our idea of democracy itself will need to move on.
Mike Brain
Wet Dock Crossing
Just before the local elections in May, The Ipswich Society was invited to appear on BBC Look
East alongside one of our local MPs, Ben Gummer. Ben was commenting on the inclusion of the
Wet Dock crossing in the Local Transport Plan:
"A long term aspiration for Ipswich is a new Wet Dock crossing alongside future development (of
the Island Site). This project would be largely funded by developers (of the Island Site)."
As is typical in media appearances, we were unable to convey the full range of points from our
considered argument as to why this new road in unlikely to be built and its inclusion in the Local
Transport Plan is political point scoring rather than practical or sensible.
It is believed by a considerable number of people (which increases when the dock gyratory roads
grind to a halt) that a bridge over the lock will solve a hefty proportion of Ipswich's traffic problems
- it won't. If a typical west-bound motorist's journey is down Bishop's Hill into Fore Street and
eventually out of the gyratory on to Grafton Way and West End Road, then the Wet Dock crossing
alternative would be driving south to Ship Launch Road, over the new bridge and back along
Vernon Street to Stoke Bridge - almost three times as far. Not the natural choice in the daily
commute.
Ipswich Waterfront is now home to some 500 marina berths with additional space for visiting
yachts. These boats are currently able to come and go at any state of the tide and would not take
kindly to a (height) restriction imposed by a new bridge. However, there are two alternatives. Build
it higher with extended approach ramps or construct an opening bridge, one that is closed to traffic
when a yacht passes - not a good idea in the rush hour.
Under the rules by which the Government decides which schemes, from across the nation, get
priority of funding there are other Suffolk proposals much higher up the list than the Wet Dock
crossing.
* A11 dualling, Barton Mills to Thetford (recently confirmed as desirable).
* Beccles Southern Relief Road.
* Copdock roundabout improvements. (This scheme is under way. paid for by the Port of
Felixstowe but is limited to installing traffic lights.)
* A 12 Four villages Improvement. (The subject of the EADT campaign.)
* Lowestoft Northern Spine Road (phase 5).
* Ipswich - Fit for the 21st Century (funding now promised by Dept of Transport).
*
Overall transport improvements must be geared to increasing cycling and walking and reducing
dependency on the private car, which is the basis for the Ipswich 21st Century scheme. So sorry,
Ben, but a Wet Dock crossing is not on, even long term.
John Norman, Vice-Chairman
New Bridge at Ipswich Station
The new £2.4m footbridge with its two lifts finally opened in early June - very welcome and not
before time! There has also been speculation about creating two new 'island' platforms on the site of
the adjacent Freightliner re-fuelling yard. But Network Rail says "It is not a top priority at present.”
Adam Gordon (1934-2011)
Adam became a key member of The Ipswich Society soon after it was founded. In the early 1960s
there was no planning department in the Borough Council ('planning' was an aspect of the Borough
Engineer's Department) and in many towns like Ipswich scant respect was shown towards buildings
or whole streets deemed no longer fit for purpose. So it's not surprising that intelligent young
architects like Adam Gordon and Peter Barefoot were distressed by what was happening and allied
themselves with the civic-minded society which they helped to promote.
Adam's regular contributions to the Society's Newsletter under the title ‘Streetscene' soon became
one of the first articles that members eagerly read. He had an architect's eye for significant changes
that were taking place in Ipswich but always wrote like an observant layman walking the streets.
Adam also made his office available for producing the Newsletters which in those days could mean
assembling Roneo sheets, sometimes scattered all over the office in Silent Street!
The Society in the 1960s and 70s also undertook some hands-on improvement projects such as the
installation of the sarsen stones and river bank tidying near Stoke Bridge and the tree planting
alongside Ranelagh Road near the railway station. Adam was one of the principal labourers. (Photo
below shows Adam, with hammer, preparing to plant a tree. Another photo on page 19 indicates
how such trees have matured.)
A number of buildings he designed or helped to design are part of his legacy to Ipswich. They
include the Post Office sorting centre in Commercial Road/Princes Street, the extension to Cranfield
Court on Tuddenham Road/Valley Road, and what is now the Ivry Street Medical Practice, which
was originally designed as the Oncology Department for Anglesea Road Hospital. He became self-
employed in 1986 and particularly enjoyed working for a number of private clients.
Adam's versatility, keen intelligence, determination and quietly spoken smiling manner will be
remembered and appreciated by The Ipswich Society, to which he contributed so much.
Puzzling over the Mansion
I have recently begun a short course at the Suffolk Record Office about five Suffolk estates, taught
by the excellent Dr Margaret Thomas. (As a complete ignoramus about this kind of stuff I apologise
for any inaccuracies that might follow, which are all my own work.) The first session was about
Christchurch, here in Ipswich, and Margaret showed us maps, engravings and photos detailing the
development of the house, park and estate over the centuries.
This spurred us on to visit the Mansion for the first time in ages. En route we looked at the site of
the extensive formal water gardens which used to run from (roughly) the War Memorial down to
Bethesda Baptist Chapel and realised this may be why this area often seems so soggy.
Margaret had explained the dates of the different windows on the front elevation, so we understood
the motley look. So far, so good; but from then on, things got less explicable - especially why they
didn't remove previous fittings when they made alterations as it ruins the effect they were trying to
achieve?
For example, the strange window mullions on the first floor of the hall were on an outside wall
before they built the corridor behind them, and the bottom half of a filled- in window opposite must
date from when the ceiling was put in (the previous design being open to the rafters). And when
they built the corridor, why didn't they line it up with the floors of the wings it connected so you
don't have to go up and down steps?
But the weirdest thing was the grand staircase. Knowing it was a later insertion explained the odd
angle of the archway leading to it from the hall, but it was built to give access to a suite of rooms
above, which according to the fashion of the time had been built the full width of the wing with no
corridor - a series of connecting doors in line with each other on the east side made a 'virtual
corridor' if they were all open. Logically the staircase should end in a landing on the east with two
of these doors leading off it, but they took the stairs to the other side and had to insert a whole new
row of doors along the western length of the wing. And then they left the original doors in situ - two
of which now opened on to thin air several feet above the turn of the stairs. Was the staircase a
bargain that came from somewhere else? And I really don't understand the double doors in the
panelling that open on either side above the stairs; was this to make the rooms look larger?
So then we started going round and noticing the oddities. The pretty door on to the gallery above
the hall has an amazing number of bolts, given that it doesn't open on to the outside of the house.
And if the bedrooms were in the west wing then they were directly above the kitchens and sculleries
which must have been really noisy at 5.30 in the morning with all those buckets and clogs on the
stone stairs.
A little courtyard on the east side has its knocker and letterbox on the courtyard side. And why
should such a small(ish) house need three doors giving on to the entrance court? One of these has a
pretty oval window above it let into a wall that appears to be more than a foot and a half thick in a
house allegedly not made of stone. There were strangely curving walls in odd places and two rooms
appeared to be adjoining - but the party wall would have to be more than two feet thick if they do.
I wanted to ask Margaret all about it but she pre-empted me by saying how puzzling it all was and
what a pity it was that the Mansion had never been properly recorded. And that all the date plaques
had been moved - one of the few things we had assumed we could rely on. Oh well.
I'm sure we'll be going back many more times, noticing more strange things on each visit. And I'm
sure many members are groaning and tutting at my woeful ignorance and are eager to enlighten me
- please do. I'd love to know.
Kay McElhinney
Building a Gable Warmer
Part 2 of the article Four Times Better in Issue 183.
Having decided to proceed with a pilot project to construct a 'gable warmer', my first thoughts were
to investigate what permissions might be needed. Such cladding works on an elevation not facing
the highway are generally 'permitted development' in planning terms. Obviously the nature of the
cladding will have a visual impact and consideration should be given to your neighbours and
anyone passing by who may have to look at it.
With Listed buildings and within Conservation Areas the rules are generally tighter and consents
will be needed. These works will also require clearance under Building Regulations to ensure both
the adequate performance of the insulation and fire protection where the house adjoins a
neighbour's property, the latter not being needed where a gable is some distance from the property
boundary.
I have recently constructed my gable warmer using mainly 4"x2" and 3"x2" timbers, infilled with 4"
of Thermal fleece wool insulation, covered with a breathable membrane and then a cladding of fire
retardant treated feather-edged timber boarding, a traditional Suffolk building material. I chose to
stain mine a brick red colour and line up the joints with the brick courses, so that at a glance it looks
much as it always did.
I have now had two winters with the insulation in place and have enjoyed a marked rise in comfort
levels inside the house especially through the colder spells, which used to be miserable times each
year. Comparison of my energy bills before and after the gable warmer was constructed bears out
my calculations. I have achieved a 15% average reduction in my energy bills, nearly matching the
predictions, which might have been achieved had I completed the timber cladding and not had two
colder than normal winters to contend with.
Such a gable warmer is the biggest and most efficient energy saving measure that can be applied to
an end terrace (or semi-detached) house, especially as a gable usually has no windows and therefore
requires no special detailing other than at the edges. There remain several choices of insulation
material and cladding finish that should suit a variety of situations and finances available.
A short walk around most neighbourhoods will reveal many older houses that are either end of
terrace or semi-detached to which such a gable warmer could be applied. If promoted (or even
encouraged with grant aid) this idea could provide a significant reduction in this country's energy
footprint.
Patrick Taylor, Conservation Architect
Waterfront Attractions Part 2 of Waterfront Developments in Issue 183.
I listed in the last Newsletter a number of waterfront redevelopment schemes that were adding value
to their location because of a Visitor Attraction - Swansea with the National Waterfront Museum
and Salford with the Lowry and Imperial War Museum. But before holding these up as examples of
urban regeneration it is worth bearing in mind that even in these towns the residential flats are
suffering from poor sales in much the same way as all new housing developments. However,
because of the vibrant community at ground level the occupancy rate of the soaring tower blocks is
less noticeable. This is not the case in Liverpool Leeds or in Hartlepool where unfinished towers
blight the skyline.
So did Ipswich get it wrong? Did we build, or start to build, too many flats? Clearly the developers
didn't think so or they wouldn't have speculated substantial sums without an expected return. To
understand why we have so many unfinished or unoccupied units it is necessary to think back to the
(relative) boom of the first half of the noughties.
Demand was high, in particular from three groups of potential purchasers. Professional people were
claiming good salaries and it was worth commuting if they lived within a reasonable distance from
the station. Secondly, with the high incidence of divorce, one of the partners needed a smaller pad
away from the family home. Thirdly, the number of students enrolling for university was rising
rapidly. They needed accommodation and although the majority didn't take the high rent Waterfront
apartments, they did take the bottom end of the market pushing others further up the housing ladder.
Ipswich also attracted a fair number of retirees, probably because of the adjacent marina and the
safe sailing offered by the Orwell and the Walton backwaters. Neither Leeds nor Liverpool has quite
the same attractions.
It is easy to suggest that what we actually need now is family houses with gardens, but the
individual developers don't have the choice. If they own a piece of Waterfront they will want to
develop it and get the return on their investment. In Ipswich there is a dire shortage of green space
on which to build family homes; hence the reason the developers are falling over themselves to
persuade the Inspector that developing the Northern Fringe is essential.
There are two further points to this story. One is that the developers still think that the Waterfront is
a good place to build and two schemes are about to get under way; one is 'Over Stoke' on the site of
Grahams, the plumbers' merchants in Great Whip Street (Stoke Quay frontage), which is a
predominantly sheltered housing scheme but with 2½ storey family houses in an extension to
Bulstrode Street (into the middle of the site). The second scheme is the old BOCM offices and car
parks in between Salthouse Street, Slade Street and Fore Street (surrounding the Jewish cemetery) -
a scheme of mainly student accommodation (because it's not on the Waterfront?). The second point
is that the two successful schemes I opened this article with. in Swansea and Salford, are anchored
by retail developments. Perhaps Tesco will provide the impetus to re-start Regatta Quay and
complete the fitting out of The Mill. Perhaps?
John Norman
Questions About High Streets
The Prime Minister says that high streets should be "the very heart of every community."
Mary Portas ('Queen of Shops') has been asked by the Government to suggest ideas to re-invigorate
town centre shopping. Where to start? Rents? Car parking? Suitable space for modern retailing?
(All difficult?) Limits on out-of-town supermarkets and especially their free car parking.
(Impossible?) Scope for readers' letters?
The Prime Minister says that high streets should be "the very heart of every community."
Mary Portas ('Queen of Shops') has been asked by the Government to suggest ideas to re-invigorate
town centre shopping. Where to start? Rents? Car parking? Suitable space for modern retailing?
(All difficult?) Limits on out-of-town supermarkets and especially their free car parking.
(Impossible?) Scope for readers' letters?
Letters to the Editor
Clutter in Arras Square from John Brown
When I came to live in Ipswich - some fifty years ago - and joined the Society, I found a mixture of
dirty industrial town and equally grubby market/County town. The town centre did have a few good
quality shops and an excellent theatre; otherwise I think it might be fairly described as 'a bit of a
dump'. The improvement since then has been phenomenal. I have reservations, of course, but
pedestrian-friendly streets and paving; trees and open spaces with seating and sculpture; buildings
painted and in reasonable repair; improvements to the docks and riverside; signage and excellent
tourist information; all contribute to a pleasant town centre. Congratulations to the Society, the
Borough and County Officers and all the other bodies and individuals who have wrought such a
change.
Reservations? Well, there must always be some niggles. One which has annoyed me for some time
is Arras Square and the way cars, vans and rubbish bins spoil the general look of this attractive
space. I no longer encourage visitors to sit and enjoy the scene. I have approached the parking
authorities but they say they have no jurisdiction as the Square itself-other than the original St
Stephen's Lane width - is privately owned. Can anyone suggest how we might shame the property
owners into taking pride in their own spaces?
The value of Double-Glazing from Ken Wilson
Patrick Taylor's interesting article on domestic heat conservation casts doubt on the economy of
double-glazing. I cannot fault his calculations but the value of this very popular installation lies
surely in the reduction of that uncomfortable flow of cold air that descends steadily from a single-
glazed window (despite the curtains). The improvement in living conditions delivered by a second
layer of glass is ample reward.
I await part 2 of his article with interest.
The Value of a Gable Warmer from Ann Petherick
Apropos of Patrick Taylor's article in the last Newsletter, I too am the owner of an end of terrace
Victorian house in Ipswich. In 2005, as part of a programme of full modernisation, we applied
external cladding not only to the gable wall but around the rear extension. As the house has been let
since then I have not been able to obtain evidence of reduced fuel costs but I will see what I can
find out. I also wonder whether it might be possible to demonstrate a knock-on effect to the rest of
the terrace by the end property being kept so much warmer?
What is an Ipswichian? from Bernard Brown (Auckland, New Zealand)
Perhaps the Editor and Mr Tucker could come up with a definition of 'Ipswichian'. [April
Newsletter page 17.] I have never lived in Ipswich for more than a few days at a time with
grandparents and aunties and friends, but
* I attended Ipswich v Aston Villa at Portman Road in 1938 (FA Cup re-play)
* My parents were devout Ipswichians, by any definition.
* Almost invariably I identify cropped photographs of buildings, etc in the Newsletter.
* I have Ipswich Town's results phoned through to me on Sunday mornings from N.Wales!
* I am a member of The Ipswich Society and I love Ipswich.
Down and Out by the Orwell
Even in our busy lives we can't help noticing the homeless people in Ipswich. We see them and
acknowledge their presence whilst walking past, but never consider the reality of their situation.
Here in our home town of Ipswich we harbour our very own soup kitchen.
It's run daily every evening at 8 pm on Tower Street. It isn't known to many of us but the churches
in our area have a day each when they run the soup kitchen.
I work with the Salvation Army on a Wednesday at the soup kitchen. We are on a rota of seven
groups and each group takes it in turn to go. The groups are of six people and you do your turn
every seven weeks. We fill the mini-bus with donated sleeping bags, tents, clothes. toiletries and
such things, and then soup, chips, tea and coffee and sandwiches. We prepare the food beforehand at
'headquarters' and then set out to give out food to the homeless.
Working at the soup kitchen has really opened my eyes to the world of the homeless. You don't
recognise these people; they look like regular folk in large coats! None of them wants to be in the
situation they're in and I get a real sense from most of them of wanting to change. Everyone using
the soup kitchen is sincerely grateful for what we do, which makes every moment worthwhile. The
unfortunate case of a man being kicked out by his wife with nowhere to go is just one of many
stories I have heard. So we would give him a sleeping bag, socks and hot tea and send him on his
way. And at least we know he's warm.
There isn't a lot I can personally do for every homeless person in Ipswich apart from making sure
I'm there on my assigned Wednesday with my chips or soup. So naturally I was appalled to hear that
certain places have banned soup kitchens in the hope that the homeless will move on to another
town as they deem themselves too posh to help the needy. The people with the money to make a
difference to these people's lives, won't do so. I appreciate the view that some adopt that the
homeless are homeless because of themselves. In some cases, like the ones trying to combat
addictions, this is true but they don't deserve to starve. But this isn't the case of many I have met at
the soup kitchen. Many drink to drown the pain of their situation, which I agree isn't the best way of
spending the little money they have, but the daily pain some people experience tells me there are
much worse things to turn to than alcohol. There are the few that I have met who never turn up
intoxicated but who have found themselves in a dire situation and are just pleased for us reliably
being there. There are others facing time in the cells for defending themselves against racism, who
just have had bad luck at being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
The world seems to be against the homeless and often bad situations get worse by prejudices. To
me, people who are victims of prejudices are the ones who need the most help as the world seems to
be against them in a racially unbalanced society. Soup kitchens do so much good for people in need,
even if it's just for a chat or to see the nurse who is also there on a Wednesday. Therefore banning
soup kitchens will only take away a reliable source of food which isn't financially supported by the
Government and isn't hurting anyone not involved. It is unnecessary to ban them. It is a worthwhile
charity and, in my opinion, shows a great deal about the town it's in.
Francesca Smith
News & Comment
Commemorating Ipswich's greatest son
The Wolsey statue will have been installed during Ipswich Charter Day, 29 June. Sited at the
junction of Silent Street and St Peter's Street it will be close to the long-lost mansion where he
intended to retire as Provost of his Cardinal College. So it is appropriate that he is cast as a
benevolent teacher. Although famous throughout Europe as Chancellor and Cardinal to Henry VIII,
he was also an advocate of humane education: "Pleasure is to mingle with study, that the boy may
think learning rather an amusement than a toil. Tender youth is to suffer neither severe thrashings
nor sour and threatening looks, nor any kind of tyranny, for by such usage the fire of genius is either
extinguished or in great measure damped.”
The James Hehir Building
Officially opened on 30 March, this is the second major building for the University and it sits on
Orwell Quay. It comprises laboratories, lecture theatres and social areas. Its appropriate name
commemorates IBC's late Chief Executive, long an advocate of a university here.
New children's hospice for Suffolk and Essex
The Treehouse at St Augustine's Gardens and close to Felixstowe Road has recently opened. In
addition to its bedrooms there are specialist facilities such as a hydrotherapy pool and a music
studio. It has been located sympathetically in this small area of woodland. The architects were
Barefoot & Gilles and the builders Barnes Construction, both local firms.
Boxes full of boxes: the growth of containerisation and the Port of Felixstowe
In the 1960s over 50% of the British workforce were employed in manufacturing, a figure that is
now less then 15% (and in Ipswich considerably lower still). Why? It is so much cheaper to import
manufactured goods from the Far East, where labour is cheaper, and ship them into Felixstowe. In
the 1960s over 30% of the cost of imported goods was transportation. Today the cost of using
containers is 1% of the retail cost of the goods.
Touring the Olympic Sites
This was the perfect day out for a society like ours. All the fascinating issues of area regeneration,
architecture, housing, landscaping, transport and history were brought vividly to our attention in
addition to the obvious sporting interests.
For the last two or three years we've been able to see from the train passing through Stratford
station the gradual progress, but it's been hard to appreciate it accurately. The vast steel frame near
the station I'd assumed was the multi-storey car park, until it became 'Westfield Stratford City'
shopping centre - it's not only 'exit through the gift shop' but 'entrance' too! And from the train it's
hard to see the velodrome, basketball arena and other venues.
So it was a pleasure that our coach took us round the far side for a closer look at these and the
Olympic village itself which will house competitors in single rooms and then be converted into
flats, including some with three or four bedrooms, for permanent homes. Add in a large academy
and a polyclinic and it will create the legacy of a small town. (Our guide, Carol, thought the
emphasis on 'legacy' was the salient factor in London's successful bid for the games.) While here,
we also heard that this huge polluted area, which had included West Ham's hundred year old council
tip, had been cleaned in 'soil hospitals' so that 93% of the spoil could be re-used on site. Thirty-nine
electricity pylons have had to be removed as well!
We then drove past the completed velodrome (the most handsome of the structures at present) and
the media centre for 20,000 journalists and its multi-storey car park, the only car park on site,
because spectators will arrive by public transport. (Stratford is already a great hub for mainline
trains, the Underground and buses.) Then to the large viewing platform quite close to the main
stadium. Some of us would have liked to be even closer but the whole area is still a building site
and will look very different in a year's time when grassed over and with its 2,000 mature trees
planted. The stadium is simple and functional. Our guide. probably a proud Eastender, was
indignant that a certain North London football club had wanted to take it over, rather than the local
boys, West Ham - this is after all the Borough of Newham!
The aquatics centre was something of a shock. What had been an elegant swooping building seen
from the train is now flanked on both sides by steep raked seating. But that is temporary extra
seating which will be removed after the Games, so that ever after we'll be able to admire Zaha
Hadid's unique structure.
After lunch at the Railway Tavern, where they are entertaining a coach party every day now, the
coach took us along West Ham's multi-cultural Green Street, past the Excel Centre which will house
seven Olympic sports, and down to the Thames. We crossed on the Woolwich Ferry, an unexpected
if short voyage! Touring around Woolwich many of us were amazed at the vast area of historic
military buildings. The Olympic shooting will take place at the Royal Artillery Barracks. Tea at
Woolwich Arsenal (23 Listed buildings here!) was welcome - and surprising when young soldiers in
uniform removed the trays. Nearby is the Woolwich Heritage Museum close to a building allegedly
by Hawksmoor - and well worth a visit.
Our guide was brilliant, our organiser Barbara Barker deserves much credit for coping with us - and
with the 100+ original applicants. Those who will be lucky to go in October are in for a great treat.
Neil Salmon
Tourist Guides Visit Ipswich
Biennial Conference for East Anglian Tourist Guides
The Ipswich Tourist Guides' Association hosted this prestigious meeting of Guides from Norfolk,
Suffolk, Essex, St Albans and Bedford on 2Apri120ll. The venue was the roof garden of the Willis
Building and the theme of the conference was 'Reflections on the Past, Present and Future'. The
Mayor, Councillor Jane Chambers, welcomed the Guides.
Our keynote speaker was Dr John Blatchly who reflected on 'Thomas Wolsey, Ipswich's Greatest
Man'. Jo Leah, our guest speaker from Ipswich Building Society, spoke of the present and future in
terms of 'Identifying New Markets from a Business Perspective'. Between them they provided
fascinating insights into Ipswich. In the afternoon, a choice of three guided walks was available and
Ipswich looked its best in glorious spring sunshine (and temperatures reaching 20°C!) From the
feedback it is clear that our town made a favourable impression on our visitors. Many expressed
delight and surprise at what we have to offer. Clearly, Ipswich has much to be proud of and we feel
privileged to be able to show off our heritage on occasions such as this.
Diana Lewis
A New Book
'Petitions from Suffolk, Before and During the Civil Wars & Interregnum' is the clearly named
title of a variety of documents selected by Frank Grace, local historian, former lecturer at Suffolk
College and Ipswich Society member. There are petitions addressed to King Charles I, to
Parliament, to Cromwell, to Fairfax, etc. They illustrate the importance of religion and the fears
created by the political crisis and the consequences of war. Each of these documents is introduced
with a contextual commentary. Copies can be obtained from Frank Grace, 5 Oban Street, Ipswich
IP1 3PG, price £7 + £1.50 p&p.
A Blue Plaque
Dedicating the Society's Blue Plaque to the memory of a great man, 8 April
The previous Newsletter described Felix Thornley Cobbold (1841-1909) as "the town's greatest
benefactor". It is appropriate that the Plaque should be on the Reg Driver Centre in Christchurch
Park because there wouldn't be either Park or Mansion without Cobbold's gift. The photo shows L
to R: Pat Grimwade and Tom Gondris (of our Society), Richard Wilson, (Chairman of The Friends
of Christchurch Park), Anthony Cobbold (Keeper of the Cobbold Family Trust) and Jack Chapman,
(Ipswich Society Chairman).
Roads at a Price
As a nation we spend more than £100 billion per annum on road travel- a sum greater than the
amount we spend on food, drink or clothing. Thus the building and maintenance of roads should be
regarded as an activity that helps economic growth as valuable as any other nationwide investment.
We make the assumption that roads are free at the point of use but this belittles their true value and
fails to differentiate between different roads and the different times these roads are used. We pay for
roads, indirectly, through road tax (Vehicle Excise Duty) and the taxes on fuel and insurance
premiums, and occasionally through other forms of taxation. Those taxes take no account of the
time of day or the type of road we are driving on. Expenditure does not have a major influence on
behaviour. The recent hike in the cost of fuel saw a reduction in the number of journeys made but
this figure is already creeping back to the 2010 ayerage and morning rush hour congestion is just as
bad as it was before the January VAT increase.
Congestion is a major problem that is proving difficult to solve, yet it affects the quality of life for a
substantial proportion of the working population. It is also an unnecessary hindrance to economic
growth.
The use of roads is rationed by queues (because of the inefficiency of the road to carry the demand
in traffic) and because we cannot build more roads we therefore need to reduce demand. Budget
airlines solved a similar problem by varying the cost of travel entirely dependent on demand.
Popular times of travel and popular destinations are charged at a higher rate than flights that would
otherwise be less than full. Thus they have been able to spread the demand to suit aircraft and flight
crew availability.
Should we do the same with roads? We have the technology: we could fit a sat nav tracking system
in every car and charge for the use of the road, at different rates dependent on the likely congestion
predicted. Quiet roads in rural Suffolk would be free. Joining the queue on the docks gyratory
system would attract a premium. Ideally, as the queues reduce, the road charge also goes down until
the balance of freely flowing traffic is reached. Road charging would replace road tax and the duty
on fuel; thus the cost of motoring is directly related to road use. Charging would be similar to that
of mobile phones and credit cards; you simply receive a monthly statement of road use and pay by
direct debit.
Importantly, road charging must be a cost neutral replacement for existing taxes, but it could have
one further significant advantage. There could be reduced charges for disadvantaged individuals
dependent upon their circumstances so that they are not priced off the road. This could include
residents of rural backwaters without public transport, essential workers on their way to work and
people currently in receipt of a mobility allowance. Investment in roads (and to a certain extent
railways) is however a political decision rather than an economic one.
John Norman
Where You Paid Tolls
At the start of his lecture on Suffolk Toll-houses on 9 March, Patrick Taylor said he hoped we
wouldn't be disappointed. Houses which looked the right age, some of them octagonal and close to
the road, often weren't the real thing, even if called 'toll-houses'. Whereas real toll-houses could be
humdrum houses or bungalows (though with side windows for the keeper to look up and down the
road) and could easily remain anonymous. However, we weren't disappointed because it is an
unusual historical subject.
Roads which had been the responsibility of each parish to maintain were often in poor shape, so
private companies forming trusts were authorised by specific Acts of Parliament to erect turnpike
gates and collect tolls for their stretch of road. Starting in 1663, they became common in the 18th
and early 19th centuries, but with the coming of the railways business declined and most tolls were
abolished between 1870 and 1890.
The surviving toll-houses fascinate Patrick partly because of their local distinctiveness. As a
Cornishman living in Suffolk he has written books on both counties' toll-houses, noting their
strikingly different building materials and styles. His well illustrated talk showed us first some of
the 'imposters'. For example the Round House at Walton on the way to Felixstowe is hexagonal and
close to the road - but there was no turnpike road here. It was often a case of this shape of house
becoming quite popular and in come instances being used as attractive lodges for rather grander
houses. There are also 'toll-houses' at Lavenham and Bury where market tolls were collected, not
turnpike road tolls.
The most striking 'traditionally' shaped toll-houses in Suffolk are at Sicklesmere (on the Sudbury-
Bury road) and Botesdale (Scole-Bury road), the former two-storey and the latter single-storey.
Much more typical though are the long bungalow toll-house at Copdock and the two-storey house at
Claydon, both with their tell-tale side windows.
Toll-houses were usually a few miles out of towns so as not to deter visitors from the near-
hinterland from coming to town for business. Patrick didn't dwell on the public's attitude to the cost
and inconvenience of tolls but he did say that thatched roof toll-houses were not common - they
could be easily torched!
His book, The Toll-houses of Suffolk, Polystar Press, is published at 277 Cavendish Street, Ipswich,
IP3 8BQ (polystar@ntlworld.com) and covers all this material and much more.