Stowmarket Survey Blog

Good news for the town centre!
The Heritage Lottery Fund has earmarked £1.771 million to transform the museum site. The firsts tage of funding (£68,600) has been granted to develop the northen part of the site, creating a new entrance and restoring Abbot's Hall as its centrepiece.

To read the full press release go to:
http://www.eastanglianlife.org.uk/HLF%20award%20to%20Museum%20of%20East%20Anglian%20Life.pdf

Thank you for your votes and comments on the blog so far, and for those votes and comments that have come in by post.

The Vision for Stowmarket leaflet gives an outline of the direction the Masterplan is taking (which you can read in full at www.midsuffolk.gov.uk). We still want to hear your comments...

So far, recreation facilities are the main issue, with several statements being made about Chilton Fields and its importance to the community... any future options should at least replace this facility and preferably retain it.

You also want us to:
*Provide additional community meeting places
*Provide new public toilets in the town centre
*Encourage better shops
*Provide facilites for young people
*Avoid potential additional flood risk when building

Please keep your comments coming. They will continue to help shape the Masterplan.

I am looking forward to the greatly improved access to town from Cedars Park, not only in the car, but also on foot and by bike. However, there do not appear to be any plans to make the mainline railway station accessible for pedestrians or cyclists from the north side of town.

Currently, many residents of Cedars Park drive to the station, as the alternatives are two circuitous routes (one via the Tomo Industrial Estate, ending up in the mud behind the London-bound platform; the other down Stowupland Road, with no continuous footpath). Neither is an attractive proposition to a daily commuter.

However, there could easily be an access point from the new relief road down to the railway station platforms. Please consider this in your plans.

Thank you for visiting the Stowmarket Blog.

By now, you will have received a leaflet entitled "Towmarket Masterplan 2008 - the Vision". This is just a snapshot of the vision outlined in the draft masterplan. To read the Draft Masterplan in full, you can download a copy from http://www.midsuffolk.gov.uk/Your+Community/Future+of+Stowmarket/Latest+Reports.htm
OR you can read a copy in Stowmarket library or the CSD in Ipswich St.

The Stowmarket Masterplan - which is still in draft - will be a framework document that proposes an integrated strategy for the social, economic and physical renewal of the area. It is NOT A DETAILED BLUEPRINT FOR DEVELOPMENT but, rather, an overview. The document will feed into the Local Development Framework for Mid-Suffolk, a set of documents that will guide planning and development in the area going forward.

The draft masterplan is based on feedback received by Stowmarket residents during a period of consultation in September 07, which comprised a travelling exhibition, and extensive questionnaire (both online and offline) and a series of workshops. The results of the consultation were gathered together and published in a report in November 07, which is also available to download from the web address above.

We looked at the earlier consultation and there was no mention of the above, nor a new road down to Newton Road. From these amateur primary school sketches ( and how much did that all cost?) we have no idea of how many houses , how close to the bank and most importantly, where will all the drainage water come off...into the well researched and over loaded flood plain off Newton and Cardinalls Road?

Just another idea slipped in like previously: with the crossings being shut, building on flood plains, building orange masts.... I could go on....developers and MSDC /SCC hoping we all won't notice until it is too late.
Come on MSDC let's have proper consultation, proper plans we can all read and a website that is easy to access to post our views.

From the childish map drawing and minimal content in the new 'Stowmarket Masterplan 2008 leaflet' it looks like MSDC is intent of paving over half of Chilton fields regardless. There are two options for the fields developement and both include a new road through the middle of it! At the same time they mention 'extended playing fields', well how can this be when half of it is under concrete and new houses?
I say get your hands off Chilton fields and let those of us (and there are lots) carry on using and enjoying the only large open playing field area in the town!
If you want more housing then put the field opposite Tesco's to better use.

Do you think any new business parks to be built in the area should be 'green'? What environmental measures do you think should be considered?

The old Atco-Bosch site is close to the river and well-connected by road and rail. Do yuo think it would make a good site for housing?

Some of the potential development sites in the area are in the flood risk zone, as this map from the Environment Agency shows.

What do you think about siting housing in potential flood risk areas?

Seaman's Yard is ripe for redevelopment. What do you think this site could be used for?