Paddock House
Exciting news for the community of Eye! The long-awaited development of mixed housing in the town centre has taken a significant step forward, as Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Councils have appointed Rose Builders as the contractor for the Paddock House site and community garden. This project promises to enhance the area and provide much-needed housing options for residents. Stay for more updates as the development progresses
Public Vote - Church Street,Eye
Eye Town Council are offering residents a chance to vote for a one-way or two-way system on Saturday 15th June between 10 am and 2 pm at the Eye Town Hall.A postcode will be required. Business owners will be contacted on the day. Please post any questions
Public Information
The Eye Neighbourhood Plan 2018 - 2036 if you live in the area of Eye Suffolk this document is the backbone of the towns development and must be read.
The Eye Neighbourhood Plan is due to be revised by the Eye Town Council. Please make sure that you are building a list of questions and listing items that you suggest should be added or removed from the plan.
Information
updates
01
Cross Street Eye
Are the Council Offices moving from Tacon Close into the Cross Street development.What facilities will be available for new start ups.We are looking for information and developments on this project as Mid Suffolk have not issued any details as yet.
03
Paddock House
Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Council have announced that there is no contract is in place for construction of this development.
Councillor Lucy Elkin is looking into obtaining access to the community garden so this can be developed for the public to use.
05
School Run
Parents who walk their children to the Eye Primary School have raised concerns for the safety of the children from road users.
The Eye Town Council did offer a public meeting to be held in the Eye Town Hall for residents of Eye to offer up their vision and options of traffic management.Has this meeting taken place?
At the Eye Town Council meeting on Wednesday 15th November the Town Council announced a public meeting will take place in the Town Hall Tuesday 28th November at 7 pm in the main hall,concerning traffic safety measures on Church Street,Eye
02
Car Parking
Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Council set out commitment to increase the amount of EV charge points in Eye Car Parks.
04
Starting a Business
Free business support is on offer for residents of Eye starting their own business.
Invest in Eye and build a local business to be proud of with a little help.
06
Traffic Control
Residents have raised concerns of speeding road users. Eye Town Council have revived the town's Speed Watch program. Volunteers are required for this project.
If you are interested in checking the speed of passing traffic please contact Eye Town Council.
Church Street Traffic Vote
Eye Town Council would like your view of traffic flow on Church Street. There will be an informal vote on June 15th. The notes below were supplied by Eye Town Council and have text missing on the right hand side of the page.
1
Introduction by Suffolk Highways Wayne Saunders
2
Buckshorn Lane was not included in the survey
3
From the Co-Op store to the exit on Broad Street needs an in depth survey.
4
Directional flow of traffic to be determined.
5
Wellington Road needs improved signage.
6
Eye Town Council looks to hold an informal VOTE
Church street
Good news for the safety of school children in Eye, a move forward on the Church Street scenario.Suffolk County Council Highways Department have issued a date for a traffic count. The cables that will count traffic movements on Church Street will be in place in early March 2024. The cables will be in place from March 1st for 10 days counting cars and HGV traffic.
The Paddock House development is submitting changes to the application through the Mid Suffolk planning committee.
Comments can be made via the planning portal Link
If you have any thoughts or views on the traffic changes please contact the Eye Town Clerk townclerk@eyetowncouncil.gov.uk
Public consultation meeting on Church Street held on
Tuesday 28th November 2023 at 7.00pm at Eye Town Hall
Headline summary notes.
This is not the official record. It is written for the Our Eye website
There were 52 people in attendance including Councillor Tunie Brandon who led the event, supported by Suffolk County Councillor Peter Gould.
The Suffolk Highways team unfortunately had sent apologies to the meeting so a presentation from them was not possible but they had to prioritise the gritting of the roads due to the weather conditions.
Background
Councillor Brandon gave a brief overview of the background leading to the public consultation meeting, namely:
• The particular threat to children’s safety walking to school in Church Street due to the volume of traffic, vehicles mounting the pavements to pass at narrow points/ to get past parked cars in the street.
• The number of strikes on buildings and cars, particularly at the Broad Street junction with Church Street.
• The use of Wellington Street as a rat run to avoid the Broad Street/Church Street junction despite the existing prohibition of motor vehicles except for access.
The Proposal
The proposed option put forward by Suffolk Highways was to introduce a one-way system starting at the Broad Street/Church Street junction that would stop traffic entering Church Street from Castle Street or Hoxne Road.
The reasons for this proposal are:
• traffic would be travelling in only one direction in Church Street so vehicles would not have to mount the pavement to pass oncoming cars/buses/lorries
• as there would be no traffic waiting to exit at Broad Street there would be more room to manoeuvre at the junction which could prevent damage to buildings
• reduced congestion at the Broad Street / Church Street junction would encourage drivers not to use Wellington Road as a rat run.
It was noted that if a one-way system was introduced it was very likely that parking spaces at the Broad Street/ Church Street junction would be lost.
The public meeting was being asked to indicate informally if they supported further investigation of a one-way system (noting that the system could instead operate the other way with traffic entering Church Street from Castle Street and Hoxne Road).
If there was general support the next step would be for Suffolk Highways to carry out a traffic survey measuring the volume and flow of traffic. This would be carried out during school term time to make sure a realistic picture of the traffic flow was obtained.
It was recognised that there was no perfect solution and the aim was to achieve the best approach possible. The school had signed up to the Junior Road Safety Scheme to raise safety awareness and the headteacher was fully engaged.
Questions and Comments
o Some form of action was vital: children were having to be escorted to school and having to walk in single file. Wellington Road has no pavements so children were particularly vulnerable on that part of the journey.
o Danger to pedestrians was not just during the school drop off and collection period – the problems were constant throughout the day and there was as much concern for older residents.
o Speeding and inconsiderate parking on the road would be a continual problem whatever action was taken. Greater enforcement action was needed - but unlikely to happen.
o Lorries would find it easier to enter from Hoxne Road.
o Damage had also been caused to buildings in Buckshorn Lane and Dove Lane by lorries trying to manoeuvre. The focus seemed to be on Church Street but the impact on Buckshorn and Dove Lanes needed to be understood.
o Impact of more car parking spaces off Buckshorn Lane at the back of the Co-Op was unknown.
Suggestions
▪ Install bollards on Wellington Road so only key holders could access.
▪ Make Church Street access for residents only.
▪ Introduce speed control measures.
▪ Ask parents to park at the Eye Community Centre.
▪ Developing a school drop off area for the school away from Church Street.
The meeting closed at 8.00pm and attendees were asked to indicate on slips of paper if they supported the proposed one-way system or if they would support a one-way system running in the opposite direction, or if they wanted things to stay the same.
Suffolk Highways Church Street Eye Proposal
Have your say about Church Street Eye
Do you agree or disagree, what is your view.If you live on Church Street or run a business, should the traffic system remain unchanged, if you are a truck driver using this route then tell us what would you advise, public opinion is welcome.What direction should traffic travel on Church Street,should it become a one way system or should parking be restricted. What developments do you think are required and how should child safety be managed.Parents please voice your thoughts and ideas. If you have an opinion or would like to make an observation please contact Eye Town Council for Suffolk Highways to consider all options townclerk@eyetownconcil.gov.uk should you not receive a response please contact us as we will be pleased to assist.