Local elections: What are the key voting issues for people in Sudbury? (2024)

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With just over a fortnight before people in Babergh, Suffolk go to the polls in local council elections, what would people in Sudbury want for the district's largest town?

'We'd struggle without town centre parking'

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Karen Pinnock says the town has a "really good community" and not much needs to be changed.

But, she says, traffic can sometimes be a "bit of a problem" because of its one-way system, and a lot of shops have closed down recently.

"We need some major shops," the 57-year-old, who moved to the town in October 2021, says.

"We need some of the big names to come back."

Ms Pinnock says there is talk in the town about turning the car park into a pedestrianised area but she says she does not think that would work.

"We don't get enough visitors as it is so if you take the parking away, we will struggle," she says.

'Give independent shops support'

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Hospital worker Chris Ward says he would like to see more independent shops in the town.

He says he thinks Sudbury has "got enough cafes, coffee shops, hairdressers, estate agents, charity shops" and it would be "nice to have some quirky little independent shops".

Mr Ward, who works at West Suffolk Hospital, says he would encourage the district council to help support small businesses to enable that to happen.

"More funding or grants, maybe something like that because getting a business started is the hardest thing.

"Especially in this day and age with the crisis we are going through, with the cost of living and everything."

'Free parking is an essential thing'

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Steve Byfield, who runs an independent shop in the town with his brother Tony, says it is "essential" for the town to keep its free parking.

"There's talk of making people have to pay for it, but that wouldn't be good for the area at all.

"We get people travelling into Sudbury to visit the shop and if they're not able to park, then obviously that's going to affect us quite badly," he says.

Mr Byfield says it would be good to see the North Street area of the town, where his business is, more pedestrianised, with tables out on pavements for people to sit and have coffee.

"Just make it a really nice place that people can travel to and enjoy and still be able to visit and park without having to pay a fortune for it," he says.

"Free parking is quite an essential thing."

'Signpost people to independent shops'

Vikki Irwin/BBC

Cafe and deli owner Gina Jupp also supports the idea of having North Street pedestrianised.

She says she would also like to see more signage in the town so people know that there are independent shops in that part of town.

"Even though we've been here for eight years, we're still having people arrive who didn't know we were here," she says.

She says the North Street area, where her business is, "definitely" lends itself to being pedestrianised.

"It would be really nice to have a place where people can come and sit outside and relax, have someone to eat a coffee, especially in the summertime that would be really nice thing to do," she adds.

What is make-up of Babergh Council?

There are 32 seats on Babergh Council, which have been held by 10 Conservatives, 10 independents, four independent Conservatives, four Green Party, three Liberal Democrats and one Labour.

They are all up for grabs at the elections on 4 May.

The authority has been run by the independents, independent Conservatives, Greens and Lib Dems in a coalition, but this time round all of the independent Conservatives are running as independents.

Sudbury is split into four wards - north west, north east, south west and south east - with five seats being contested.

Jo Black/BBC

Parking, retail, traffic and making Sudbury a place that people want to visit are all key priorities for the parties hoping to represent the town.

Labour says it would keep short stay car parking free to "support local businesses and jobs".

It says it "could kill off what is left of our town centre" if charges are introduced.

The group says it would also provide disabled car park spaces and would restore Belle Vue Park to "its former glory with the best play areas, flowers, and events".

The Liberal Democrats groups says it would also improve Belle Vue Park a feature and it would want to encourage unique shops and to attract services to the town like hairdressers and coffee shops to make coming to the high street an "experience".

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Keeping free parking is also on the agenda for the Conservatives; they say they would keep it free for three hours and freeze parking fees.

They would also like to see the town regenerated, with plans for a hotel and cinema on Hamilton Road, and they also want to make a feature of the Belle Vue Park.

The Independent group says it would look to improve traffic flow in the town centre, improve the Hamilton Road area and wok with a hotel operator to provide such a facility in the town.

They say they would improve signage in the town, provide support for start-up businesses and improve facilities at Belle Vue Park.

The Greens say they would make Sudbury a "cycling and walking town".

They would campaign to divert the lorry route around town, invest in bus routes make the maximum speed limit for the whole town 20mph.

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