Haverhill News

Shopmobility comes to Haverhill

Making the most of shops in the heart of Haverhill will become easier later this summer when a new Shopmobility scheme opens in the town.

The move comes after a Haverhill Shopmobility Partnership Group was set up late last year to look into the possibility of introducing a scheme. The group was made up of representatives from St Edmundsbury, Haverhill Town Council, 3CT Transport, the Haverhill Volunteer Centre and HAVO, and examined the benefits, costs, feasibility, location and management arrangements of setting up a scheme.

A study carried out by the group showed there was a suitable demand for a Shopmobility scheme in Haverhill, which would be best located in the borough council’s offices in Lower Downs Slade. Current proposals are that the service will operate in a similar way to the scheme in Bury St Edmunds, where people who use it regularly pay a £5 registration fee and a £1 hire charge and those using it occasionally pay £3.50 for each use.

Suffolk County Council today voted in favour of moving to a stage two review of school organisation in Suffolk, with a preferred option of an all two-tier school system.

The decision was made following intense debate about the proposals for change at the full Council meeting in Endeavour House.

Councillor Jeremy Pembroke, Leader of Suffolk County Council, said: "This is an important day for education in Suffolk. This is not just about schools in the three-tier areas, it is about raising standards everywhere. It gives us a framework to ensure that all pupils, now and in the future, have the opportunity to maximise their potential.

"We undertook the year long-review because we were concerned that standards in our schools were not as high as they should be. We consulted widely and have carefully evaluated all the evidence and views submitted. At today's council meeting we had a long and thorough debate on all the issues, before reaching our decision.

"Every child matters in Suffolk. That is why we had to act now. Today's decision was a brave decision, a tough decision and above all the right decision."

The debate included an amendment to the policy framework for school organisation, which forms the basis of the stage two review.

The amendment means that all areas of the county will have the flexibility to consider the 'all-through' school option, where there are compelling local reasons, when they carry out consultations during stage two.

The stage two review will see stakeholder groups set up in each area as part of a phased implementation plan. These groups will be made up of parents, teachers, governors and young people, who will be able to shape the changes in their communities.

However, although the county council will move quickly to take this forward, to make sure that uncertainties can be dealt with, there will be no immediate changes to education in Suffolk.

Councillor Patricia O'Brien, portfolio holder for Children, Schools and Young People's Services, said: "I understand that people may have concerns about how change may be implemented. But I must reassure everyone that we will manage the process carefully to protect the well-being of every child in the school system.

"We will also make sure that all schools in the three tier system, wherever they are in the phased implementation plans, will have the support they need to continue to provide a high quality education. This includes making arrangements to retain and develop our talented school staff.

"Reviewing the way our schools are organised has been passionately discussed across the whole county. It reflects the desire of everyone to provide our children and young people with the best possible start in life. We must harness these passions now to make change work."

If people have any further questions about the School Organisation Review, they can visit www.suffolk.gov.uk/sor or email sor@cyp.suffolkcc.gov.uk or call 08456 031842.

Tackling a sticky problem

A powerful gum-busting machine is to take to the streets of Bury St Edmunds on Sunday to blast unsightly chewing gum from the pavements.

The machine will spend three days forcing trodden-in gum from the streets using pressurised steam. St Edmundsbury will spend £3500 on the project, which has been designed to improve the environment while raising awareness that dropping gum is classed as littering and could lead to a fine. In total, clearing up gum costs the council an average of £10,000 each year.

The gum-busting machine will be clearing the streets in Haverhill later in the year after the enhancement project at Jubilee Walk is complete.

Cllr Jeremy Farthing, Portfolio Holder with responsibility for the environment, said:

“I regard people who spit gum onto the floor as extremely anti-social, and the result is very expensive to remove. I would encourage and support anything we can do to curb this idiotic tendency. I am pleased we are bringing in this machine but annoyed that we are having to do it. We need to find other solutions, possibly the gum targets, to beat this anti-social behaviour.”

Last year, new £80 fixed penalty notices were introduced to help clamp down on those who drop litter in the borough (with a £20 discount for those who pay promptly). The fine had previously stood at £50. Money generated by the fines is used to offset the cost of cleaning up litter.

Residents in Great Whenetham will find it easier to leave their cars outside their own homes after 12 new parking bays were created to ease traffic congestion.

The bays, in Raynsford Road, will be officially opened on Monday. They were created after Great Whelnetham Parish Council approached St Edmundsbury for help to ease problems caused by parking on the road. Lines of cars had meant residents struggled to get their vehicles out of their drives while parents dropping children at the local school also faced difficulties.

St Edmundsbury created the new bays in partnership with the parish council. In total, the project cost £14,500, with money coming from a number of sources, including the borough’s Rural Areas Community Initiatives Fund and Suffolk County Council locality money from Cllr Terry Clements.

Cllr Clements, St Edmundsbury Portfolio Holder for Transport, Planning and Leisure, said:

Getting a foot on the property ladder

First-time buyers who are struggling to afford their own homes can get a helping hand on to the property ladder through a scheme called Open Market Homebuy. St Edmundsbury Borough Council and Keyhomes East work in partnership to run the scheme.

The government- funded Open Market Homebuy scheme works by providing 25 percent of the price of a suitable home in the form of an ‘Equity Loan’ on which there is no interest payment for first five years, and then a very low rate. The remaining 75 percent of the price is raised by a mortgage in the usual way. Crucially, no deposit is required for the mortgage but clients do need to be able to pay their legal and survey fees.

The main groups of people who will be helped by the scheme are:

• existing housing association tenants;
• people who are on the West Suffolk Housing Register;
• other first-time buyers; and
• key public sector workers.

New planting for Haverhill Cemetery

Work is taking place to plant 48 new trees at Haverhill Cemetery to replace planting which has come to the end of its natural lifespan.

Over the years, small trees in the central avenue have died back and gradually been felled. Similar slow-growing species, which will not get too tall, will be used to replant the avenue in the original Victorian style. The work, which will improve the entire area, should be complete by the end of March.