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PM agrees to ministerial talks on Ipswich's Northern Bypass

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Ipswich's only independent news website

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Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has promised to arrange a meeting about Ipswich's Northern Bypass, responding to mounting pressure over the town's traffic problems and a stark warning about the Orwell Bridge's future.

Why it matters: Orwell Bridge closures cost Ipswich £1 million per day in losses, according to the Suffolk Chamber of Commerce, with the spate of recent incidents bringing the town's traffic issues into sharp focus.

The big picture: Plans for the Ipswich Northern Bypass were abandoned in 2020 due to a lack of "political support". Suffolk County Council's cabinet voted against the proposal, citing funding concerns, while protesters raised environmental objections.

Jack Abbott speaking at PMQs about the importance of the Northern Bypass project in Ipswich
Jack Abbott speaking at PMQs about the importance of the Northern Bypass project in IpswichParliament Live

Driving the news: Labour MP Jack Abbott challenged the Prime Minister during Prime Minister's Questions after writing to him about the "absurd" situation facing the town last week and calling for the Northern Bypass to be given national priority status.

What they're saying: Abbott told the House of Commons: "This critical project has been gathering dust for years, repeatedly blocked by people who refuse to act in our long-term interests."

In his letter to the Prime Minister, Abbott warned the Orwell Bridge's lifespan "is now envisaged to be considerably shorter than originally expected, perhaps even as short as 20 years."

Sir Keir praised the MP's "relentless" efforts to boost growth and investment in Ipswich and Suffolk.

"We will fast-track decisions on at least 150 major economic infrastructure projects to kickstart growth, and I will make sure he gets a meeting with the relevant minister to discuss the issues of concern to him," the Prime Minister said.

What's next: The Suffolk Chamber of Commerce will release its eagerly-awaited report on the economic impact of the A14 and Orwell Bridge's shortcomings tomorrow.

The bottom line: With mounting evidence of the economic impact on our town, county and region and renewed political focus, could the Northern Bypass finally move forward after what one local campaigner has described as "years of local inertia"?

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

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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

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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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