A high profile Sudbury resident is urging local groups and individuals to stop being “apathetic” and use their collective voice to prevent the town from deteriorating in the face of significant changes.
In recent months, the volume of traffic congesting the town centre has built to potentially “catastrophic” levels according to Sudbury stalwart Lord Andrew Phillips.
In addition, the town’s biggest employer, Delphi, is consulting on whether to close with the potential loss of around 500 jobs. Several of Sudbury’s public hire venues have also shut down.
Lord Phillips said Sudbury is still an “amazing little town” and is calling on voluntary groups “disaffected” with local authorities to “take direct action” to improve the situation.
He said: “It’s good news that the western bypass now has some prospect but it will be years away and in the meantime the traffic situation has become monstrous with motorists facing 20 minute delays to enter the town via Ballingdon Hill.
“We could lose the social club up at Delphi - the Victoria Hall and St Gregory’s Church Hall are already gone.
“When Chilton Woods development is built with another 1,250 homes and a population the size of Clare, the extra traffic it will create will further choke Sudbury.”
Lord Phillips said the “air of fatalism” was largely due to district and county councils being based some 25 miles away, and that local people no longer knew which authority was responsible.
He continued: “We are experiencing huge changes and no-one knows who is responsible for what. As a result, people don’t think they are being listened to and it makes them feel disaffected and disconnected.
“But while it’s tempting just to throw up your hands in despair, we must remember that Sudbury is still an amazing little town with 150-plus voluntary organisations which is a staggering number.
“Groups like the Sudbury Society with its Love Sudbury Campaign are taking a positive proactive line.
“We need to have a more hard-hearted approach and say ‘we are not going to put up with this’ - we are going make the local authorities listen.”
He urged groups to discuss local politics and get involved in direct protests to make their voices heard.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here