'Get to work' on northern bypass, MP pleads

An MP has called on a council to "get to work" on a bypass after councillors voted in favour of the new road following years of political gridlock.

A northern bypass for Ipswich has long been suggested as a means of easing congestion - but just a fortnight ago any decision appeared to be off the cards until next year.

The plan was approved last week when a Labour councillor's motion received cross-party support at the Conservative-led Suffolk County Council.

"It is welcome that people from across the political divide have demanded that the administration wake up and finally take action," said Jack Abbot, Labour MP for Ipswich.

"It is now incumbent on Suffolk County Council to immediately get to work and produce the plans.

"If they do so, I'll work alongside them to get the funding we need from government in the long-term interests of Ipswich, Felixstowe and Suffolk."

Sandy Martin, who brought the motion, said the northern bypass would not only help ease general congestion, but also boost trade at, and stemming from, the Port of Felixstowe, the UK's largest container port.

"We cannot afford to have Ipswich brought to a complete standstill every time the bridge is shut, we cannot afford as a county to see Felixstowe downgraded," he added.

"We cannot afford as a country to see the expensive delays and disruptions to this nation's major trade route without any mitigation measures taken."

The plans were shelved in February 2020 due to a lack of political support, with councillors and the area's three Conservative MPs at the time divided on the plans.

Hundreds of people protested outside the council's headquarters, claiming the scheme would destroy the countryside, increase pollution and would cost the taxpayer millions of pounds without reducing traffic.

The project has had a recent resurgence in popularity after Mr Abbott said it was "bypass or bust" amid weeks of diversions and congestion during works on the Orwell Bridge.

Many of the same key problems which led to the strong opposition still remained, particularly in relation to how to secure government funding for the project, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

In 2019, funding was reliant on 15,000 new homes being built over and above the numbers local authorities were allocated in their local plans.

Conservative councillor Elaine Bryce, who played a key part in opposing the initial scheme, said the amount of development needed to unlock the funding would cause devastation in many of the villages she represented.

Andrew Stringer, a Green councillor and the main opposition group's leader, said: "There must be ample opportunity to provide a bridge, tunnel, anything else other than just tearing through one of the most beautiful parts of Suffolk."

Council leader Matthew Hicks, who renewed his opposition for the bypass, said: "Suffolk is waiting for a whole series of infrastructure to move forward.

"Labour has failed, so far, to bring new funding."

The motion was backed across party lines with 29 votes for and 12 against, while eight abstained.

The authority will now seek further clarity from the government on its priorities.

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