Streetlife

Though it does no affect me directly as I live in Ipswich I would not have a problem with it. I can only see that it will attract people to the area which would be good for business. I also think that setting up a B&B might be a good idea. The only problem that I can see is this will obviously creat more traffic and possible noise.

What is the point in setting up a B&B because of Snoasis? The complex is going to be like Center Parcs, you have to stay there to use the facilities. They are going to have hotel facilities, restaurants etc all within the complex. People will not have to leave the site from check in to departure.

Good point I did not think that one through

Bit harsh Kim - center parcs is pricey at the best of times - particularly in school holidays. I was under the impression that you can use some of the center parcs facilities on a daily basis.  I'd be surprised if there was no pay-as-you-ski facility but I guess we'll have to wait and see.

In general terms I am in favour of the development. It will create numerous jobs for the local economy and encourage people to visit the surrounding areas as well. It will certainly put great blakenham on the map and hopefully encourage continued investment in the area.

I think the train station will be a welcome addition as I could walk to it and get a train to Ipswich or wherever for work or pleasure so I can only see this increasing house prices. Similarly the new village centre will be a welcome amenity so we don't have to go to Claydon every time we need a loaf of bread.

There may well be more traffic and a few teething problems along the way but hopefully we as a great blakenham community can work together to address anything that comes up.

Rossi

Hmm, like you say, we'll wait and see.

I am worried that the additional development in Gt Blakenham will add pressure to the existing infrastructure. The roads are already over stretched up to the A12 / A14 Junction, and this pressure will be massively increased on changeover days. Also the Anglian Water pumping station cannot cope with the water at the moment and is trying to charge local existing businesses to pay for a new one. The development of over 400 houses, plus a hotel, and a snow dome is only going to aggravate this situation further. I am all for progress but this development, housing and snow dome seems very ill thought out.

I have only recently realised that the current development over in Gt Blakenham is not the snow dome, it is the new 'recycling from waste' plant. So where the heck is this new complex going to be? They will have to have thought of the road situation and propose improvements to have had the go ahead I assume?!
Regarding the business side, I am not sure it is going to be completely insular, surely (she says hopefully) you can just use the snow dome without staying within the complex, which means people will come and stay for weekends.
I am now off to search the internet to find out exactly where this complex is going to be!

Kerry,

As I am fairly new to the area I checked this out a while ago as I am still getting my bearings around here - I think I saw a link on the Mid-Suffolk planning site I'll see if I can dig it out as it had some diagrams of the restaurants hotels and so on.

In general terms the site is about 1km NW of the recycling-from-waste site. This is from the snoasis website:

http://www.snoasis.co.uk/snoasis/?q=system/files/u5/road_map_Snoasis_copy.jpg

Regards,

Rossi

Hi again. If only Snoasis was just going to be the size of the recycling plant. It is going to be huge compared to that. I agree with Paul A that the road network is going to suffer. If there is ever a railway station I do not think that many people will use that to arrive with holiday bags heavy with ski wear as well as all their other bits and bobs. How many people go on holiday by train these days? Then they would need a taxi or there would have to be a shuttle to and from the place itself. It is ill thought out and was campaigned against by the local community. There was a lot of info on line about it at the time, good luck with your investigations, have you been in touch with the Parish Council? They know all about it.

Hi Rossi, Thanks for that.
I had had a look at some of the plan pictures, which were interesting. I also saw that part of the agreement mean't they have to improve certain roads. So if any of you were affected by the Copdock interchange road widening (who wasn't?!) then that was all part of the changes being made. I really think though that the road situation needed to be addressed before these plans.  Felixstowe is one of the biggest ports and yet the road is shocking heading down there.  Any way that is a whole new conversation!