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Freeport East adds three new officers to drive local business growth

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We publish the stories that matter and champion everything that's good about our town – without the ads, popups or tracking

Freeport East has appointed three new Project Delivery Officers to strengthen its support for regional economic growth and business engagement.

Why it matters: The expansion will help deliver £1m of investment through the Freeport East Clean Growth Fund and Skills and Innovation Fund, supporting high-growth local businesses, universities, and colleges.

Jonathan Rudd, Laura Mayne, and Sophia Padget with Steve Beel of Freeport East
Freeport East has appointed three new Project Delivery Officers to strengthen its support for regional economic growth and business engagementFreeport East

The details: Jonathan Rudd, Laura Mayne, and Sophia Padget have joined as Project Delivery Officers to work across Freeport East's programmes, including:

  • Driving decarbonisation through initiatives like the Green Corridor Partnership with East Midlands Freeport

  • Supporting development of offshore wind sector supply chains

  • Unlocking sustainable growth at sites in Harwich, Felixstowe and Gateway 14

  • Creating an innovation ecosystem with universities and local partners

What they're saying: "We're delighted to welcome Sophia, Laura and Jonathan to the Freeport East team - they all bring deep local knowledge of Essex and Suffolk together with expertise in a range of areas of economic development, inward investment and programme delivery," Steve Beel, Chief Executive of Freeport East, said.

The big picture: Freeport East, one of 12 Freeports in England, aims to create 13,500 new jobs and generate £5.5bn in Gross Value Added over 10 years. The organisation works with local authorities, international investors, businesses and universities to drive investment and productivity in the region.

The bottom line: The expanded team will strengthen Freeport East's ability to deliver economic growth and sustainable development across Suffolk and Essex.

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Council slaps car park users with £100 fines despite publicly acknowledging payment machines were down

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Motorists have been hit with £100 parking fines at Duke Street car park despite Ipserv, which is owned by the council, publicly acknowledging payment machines were out of order.

Why it matters: Ipserv, the commercial arm of Ipswich Borough Council, has been issuing penalty charges to drivers unable to pay at Ipswich's largest Waterfront car park, where machines have been malfunctioning intermittently since late January.

A broken payment machine at Duke Street car park in Ipswich
A broken payment machine at Duke Street car park in IpswichOliver Rouane-WilliamsIpswich.co.uk

The details: The payment terminals had been experiencing problems throughout January, with all machines reported out of service on 31 January.

What they said: An Ipserv spokesperson previously stated: "Unfortunately, there is an intermittent issue with the machine at Duke Street Car Park (21851), which our engineers are actively investigating.

"While we work to resolve the problem, we kindly ask customers to use the RingGo app for payment or call RingGo Customer Services on 020 3046 0010 for assistance."

Yes, but: Many visitors are unable to pay via the RingGo app, and those who typically tap to pay with their smartphones often do not carry payment cards with them, making it impossible to pay by telephone.

A scenario seemingly overlooked by Ipserv.

What they're saying now: We approached Ipserv for comment and asked them if they would be proactively reaching out to users issued with fines despite not being able to pay. They issued the following response:

“We acknowledge that there were intermittent technical difficulties with the payment machines on the 31st January 2025. However, we wish to stress that alternative payment methods were available, users could pay via a mobile app or by contacting RingGo’s customer service on the number provided on the side of the payment machine. While we regret any inconvenience caused, these options were in place to ensure customers had a means to pay.

"The availability of alternative options of payment means that simply citing the technical issue will not, on its own, automatically cancel a parking charge notice. As an approved contractor with the British Parking Association, we are committed to correcting any errors in a fair and timely manner and will review any appeals in accordance with the recognised code of conduct.”

The bottom line: Despite publicly acknowledging these "machine issues", the council-owned company has proceeded to issue £100 fines to motorists who had no means of paying. Affected motorists are encouraged to appeal the decision.

Oliver Rouane-Williams speaking with an elderly couple in the town centre

We can't do this without you!

If you value strong, free, independent local media that fights tirelessly for our town, please consider contributing just £24 per year

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