Ipswich Waterfront residents on anti-social behaviour

Those living in Anchor Street spoke out after reporting a "honk-a-thon" outside their window in the early hours of Sunday, November 17.

Vehicles reportedly arrived from 10pm on the evening of Saturday, November 16, filling the air with music, shouting and laughter under properties in Anchor Street, noise and disruption until the early hours of the morning.

Suffolk Constabulary said that they were not aware of any incidents on Sunday and that noise and traffic complaints would be matters for Suffolk County Council.

The "honk-a-thon" is another incident of anti-social behaviour that has been plaguing residents around Helena Street and the Orwell Quay for the last two years according to the residents.

An Anchor Street resident said: "We feel like we're Fargo, getting one stagecoach a week and being ignored where as the other end [of the Waterfront] is Las Vegas, where all the money is and the problems are always sorted."

Helena Road was the scene of a honkathon where cars continuously honked at each other until the early hours of the morning (Image: Oli Picton)

One issue is due to damaged bollards on Helena Street which has meant cars drive down there late at night, disturbing residents.

Two residents of the area, who wished to remain nameless said: "It is so frustrating because we have been raising these issues for two years now and nothing has happened.

"We have gone to the police who say to go to the county council, we go to them and they say to go to environmental health, we go to them and they say to go to highways.

The bollards on Helena Road, near A Listers at Aurora have been bent back and broken, allowing cars to speed down the road near the Waterfront (Image: Oli Picton)

"We are just going in circles and it is so frustrating as it seems like such a easy problem to solve."

"We have lost faith in some in the local authorities a little bit."

Ipswich Waterfront has three entrances accessible by cars, of which the other two have retractable bollards that fill the whole width of the road. 

The bollards at the other end of Helena Road, near the University of Suffolk (Image: Oli Picton) One idea to solve the issue of noise and anti-social behaviour from the residents is to install a permanent fixture across the road, which would allow goods vehicles to come down the road from towards the University of Suffolk.

The residents said: "It seems to us such a simple issue to solve and we know it will cost to put something in place.

"That being said, there are over 300 residents around this area and we all pay a considerable amount of council tax, which seems to go up all the time, and in return we are seemingly getting worse services."

Ward councillor Cathy Frost has raised the matter with highways to ensure work will be done to replace the bollards. 

She said: "We understand there has been a delay. I've also talked to the police about and they have asked for additional road signs."