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The new year is usually associated with the Budget and council tax decisions concerning local government. Although this is still the case, Ipswich has once again become the centre of media attention with the ‘Ipswich murders' trial being held for six to eight weeks. The Crown Court is located next to the council HQ, and our facilities are being used by the police, legal counsel, and as a safe haven for families and witnesses. All day, the camera and TV people are here, but we are fortunate in having such a good working relationship with the police. The council also faces an uncertain future, with the decision by the secretary of state to ask the Boundary Committee to undertake a review of the local government structure across Suffolk in association with Norfolk. Communities and Local Government (CLG) will set the terms of reference for the Boundary Committee, and these are expected in the next few days. The decision to defer the Ipswich unitary bid referred to a ‘greater Ipswich proposal', and the council is evaluating the various options to formulate our approach. Hopefully, the Boundary Committee will carry out the review in time for elections to any new unitaries being held in May/June 2009. In fact, 2009 could be a very busy year, with European elections, county council and/or unitary elections and, maybe, a general election. Time to make sure our electoral registers are up to date! Coming back to the Budget, the biggest single new topic is the cost of concessionary fares. The good news is that Ipswich has seen an increase in bus usage. The bad news is there is a massive increase in cost to the council which is not covered by the Government's grant allocation support. The District Leaders Board has a key role to play in lobbying for a change in the distribution format. Fortunately, as a rapidly-growing urban centre, the council tax base is increasing substantially each year, and we now have a new university and new further education college under construction on the Ipswich Waterfront, which has helped lift spirits. Finally, I am off for my annual holiday to Australia, so perhaps I shall start the greater Ipswich boundary review from there and work backwards. Happy new year! James Hehir is chief executive of Ipswich BC

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WHITEHALL

District View

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