Battle of The Lairs
Pipers Vale
Mick Cooper would like to
thank you all for your support.
Please lodge your protest
here: East
Bank Protest
It was during the dark, gloomy days of November back in 1987, that Ipswich Borough Council and Suffolk County Council dropped their dock road bombshell and stunned an already disillusioned community. The plan was to build a link road between the Orwell Bridge and the Port of Ipswich on the eastern side of the town. A leaflet sent to a few neighboring districts, gave little indication as to the extent of environmental damage this would have on the popular Pipers Vale beauty spot.
Pipers Vale- suffered enough already
The Orwell Bridge hadn't long been completed (1983) and had caused considerable damage to the Lairs (to use its more affectionate name) and it sliced through the famous Gainsborough Lane which, at the time, was being denuded
of its magnificent elms. These trees once lined and towered above the entire lane their branches meeting at the sky it seemed as the track led you down to Pond Hall Farm, See Postcards page
Locals will remember the Pipers Vale open-air swimming pool. It was built in 1937, and sadly demolished in 1979 to make way for the temporary road built through the Lairs to serve the bridge construction. A great loss to many of an important amenity. so, all in all, with the bridge being built, the loss of those beautiful elms and the scars left from the temporary road, Pipers Vale was left in a sorry state. It was then that many suggestions were made for the area. Should it be turned into a golf course was one idea, another was a car park for visitors to drive down and view the newly built bridge. Can you believe that?. The matter then went to public consultation and thankfully, Ipswich Borough Council agreed with the overwhelming public opinion that "Pipers Vale should be left to return to its former natural beauty". This was done, and many trees were planted to hasten the process.
Beyond Belief- Pipers Vale under threat yet again
Moving on from the late 70s and early 80s. Now, bearing in mind all that transpired during that time, the public consultations, promises made in the town's local plan and the thousands of newly planted saplings, it was just three years later that Pipers Vale was to come under threat again. This time from the dock relief road scheme. It seemed doomed. I felt an intense feeling of impending loss for the Lairs, this time my boyhood playground and later the place that fostered my love of nature- was destined to be enveloped with tarmac and concrete. Something had to be done to save this forgotten beauty spot. A campaign was launched and a battle that was to last for six years started in January 1988.
Protest walks, petitions and public opinion
The first event was to demonstrate public opinion and on Sunday 24th January,1988 a protest walk was called at Pipers Vale. A staggering number of people turned out and on that winter morning hundreds marched through the Lairs to show their support. This was the first of many events, all which attracted immense support over the years from all corners of Ipswich and beyond. The forgotten beauty spot was well and truly under the spot light and many people were determined that it should be protected.
Ipswich Borough Council made the first move, and in the summer of 1991 they announced opposition to the dock road. This decision came after a second major protest walk, again, at pipers Vale where well over a thousand people turned out.
.
The campaign grew strong and
battled ahead through ups and downs until finally in January 1994, Suffolk County Council
effectively dropped the dock road proposal. Today seven years on, Pipers Vale joins its
neighboring Bridge and Priory Woods as one riverside country park. It all seems a far cry
from those somber autumn days back in 1987 when environmental issues didn't seem to evoke
much of a stir. Thanks to the people of Ipswich who were stirred, and were willing to
fight tirelessly to save Pipers Vale all those years, this town has a beautiful natural
park.
Long live the Lairs.
Mick Cooper
Stop Press
Monday 5th March 2001
Please lodge your protest by
sending email to: EastbankProtest
Thursday, May 09, 2002 10:01 PM
Sunset over troubled waters
November 1998
Dock redevelopment-New threat to Vale.
Recently it was revealed that developers at Ipswich Docks were poised to submit a planning application to the local authorities for the construction of the notorious link road. This time with the idea of a tunnel at the point where it would slice through Pipers Vale. They don't give up do they?.
Well, I'm sorry but this is the enlightened 1990s and this can't be allowed to happen.
Why should this beautiful Country Park, County Wildlife Site, Site of Special Scientific Interest, and perhaps more importantly, a well used and enjoyed local amenity, be sacrificed to a road that needn't be built.
There's a simple solution to serve the redevelopment plans for the local port and relieve dock related traffic from existing roads. By constructing a new wet dock bridge and connecting this to the west bank terminal, as first proposed by Civil Engineers (Robert West Consulting) back in 1988, this would solve many of Ipswich's problems.Why isn't this option being promoted?
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