Ipswich Towns Fund projects take big steps forward

Over the next week both theTown Deal Board and Ipswich Borough Council’s Executive will consider the significant progress being made in the delivery of the Ipswich Town Deal.

The Ipswich Town Deal is made up of 10 projects with £25m of government funding. This funding has already contributed to the development of the Integrated Care Academy at the University of Suffolk, the Net Zero Skills Centre at Suffolk New College, and the transformation of the old Post Office on the Cornhill into The Botanist.

Detailed plans are now revealed for:

• Making Ipswich town centre greener as the Greener Ipswich project looks to improve biodiversity and create a trail of green areas from Lloyds Avenue through the town centre to the Waterfront.
• Improving Lloyds Avenue by providing seating, spill out areas for businesses, and a green space.
• Refurbishing an existing (but out of use) bridge across the River Orwell to create a circular route for pedestrians and cyclists.
• Digital initiatives and innovations to showcase Ipswich’s heritage, enable connectivity with other places, and present a series of augmented reality walking trails created using Ipswich residents’ ideas. The next trail will be unveiled on Saturday 20 July.
• Improvements, led by Ipswich Central, are almost complete to the All about Ipswich website. The new site will launch later this month becoming a platform for people to plan their journeys, accommodation, and activities all in one place. It will include an “up to the minute” calendar of activities for visitors, as well as latest content generated by retail, leisure, hospitality, local attractions, and other businesses.

28 shopping parades across Ipswich have already seen improvements delivered by Ipswich Borough Council and Suffolk County Council including car park resurfacing, new litter bins and benches. Work is progressing on the installation of CCTV on some shopping parades and with lighting improvements. Shops on these parades are also now invited to apply for grants of up to £5,000 to make improvements to their shop fronts.

Councillor Neil MacDonald, Leader, Ipswich Borough Council, says:   “We are committed to the delivery of our Towns Fund projects, which are set to make a real difference to the people who visit and who call Ipswich home. I’m delighted to see so many of these significant schemes gather momentum, as we make progress along with our many partners to revitalise and reinvigorate the town.”

David Ralph, Chair of the Ipswich Vision and Town Deal Board, says: “Millions of pounds worth of investment has been unlocked through the Ipswich Town Deal, with three key projects already completed and work well advanced on many more exciting developments still to come. The Board welcomes the progress that these Towns Fund projects are making in delivering the expected outcomes for Ipswich, revitalising and regenerating the town centre, and achieving the aims set out in the Town Investment Plan.”

Full papers for the Ipswich Borough Council Executive meeting on Tuesday 16 July 2024 at 6pm can be found online at:

Agenda for Executive on Tuesday 16th July 2024, 6.00 pm | Democracy Online | Ipswich Borough Council

ENDS 

Photo credits: Ipswich Borough Council