FOR good or ill, we decided some years ago that two tiers of local government was insufficient.
So we added a town council to our district and county authorities.
We now have a local body which can be consulted on any improvements proposed by Suffolk County Council in Newmarket.
We elect councillors to act on our behalf. We expect them to
consider proposals carefully and ask appropriate questions before decision and implementation.
The revised clock tower roundabout and its concrete balls were created following this democratic process.
Newmarket town councillors were consulted on the design of the roundabout, though they may have failed to fully understand what was proposed and failed to ask the right questions.
Whatever the case, we have a roundabout which I suspect is satisfactory to most of us (should I be ashamed to admit to finding its simplicity appealing, the openness attractive and it much safer to drive round?).
Unfortunately, our town councillors now want the roundabout re-designed – at our expense. They seem unprepared to wait to see how the roundabout works in practice or whether we'll learn to love it.
They say the balls must be replaced immediately, perhaps by a horse statue (obstructing drivers' views) or a garden (to be driven over), but how will they decide?
Will it be by referendum or will the flower lobby battle it out with the no-change to Newmarket brigade? And how much will it cost?
Councillors do need a little backbone. Not everything they do will be universally popular.
Arguing for the immediate replacement of a costly road improvement scheme simply because some people don't like it demonstrates a lack of courage which could have adverse effects on our pockets.
And any public money wasted in the current recession will hardly help the Memorial Hall get its improvements in the future.
Give the new roundabout a chance. In a few years time the recession will be over and we can go back to arguments about whether a horse statue or a floral garden should replace the balls.
By then, of course, there will be violent opposition to any change from the no-change to Newmarket brigade.
Phil Halliwell
Whitegates
NewmarketIT saddens me to note the transparent attempts by some Newmarket town councillors to curry favour with the electorate by trying to clamour on board the bandwagon calling on the Prime Minister to intervene to remove the balls at the clock tower roundabout.
The naivety of our town councillors to be seen aligning themselves with the vocal minority does them a disservice and prevents them realising that the silent majority of residents think the new area looks fantastic.
The balls are an interesting talking point but best of all, despite the clamour to find fault, traffic is flowing freely.
Even when the A14 was recently blocked and there were long queues through the town, traffic flowed around the roundabout.
Some town councillors have even made pathetic attempts to pretend that they were unaware of the design of the roundabout when plans were published in local newspapers clearly showing the now famous balls. How can anyone say that we were not consulted?
I send my congratulations to Mr Sore and the planners at Suffolk County Council and would reassure them that the moaners of Newmarket are but a small minority.
The majority of us appreciate the excellent work that has taken place both at the clock tower and in The Avenue where the recently planted trees really enhance the area.
Phil Reed
Adastral Close
Newmarket