The Towns Fund is a multi-million-pound government grant to Ipswich to enhance the town. Eleven projects have been defined and agreed with central government. These projects will bring exciting improvements to Ipswich over the next two years.
These first three projects are already complete:
The old Post Office on the Cornhill has been successfully converted into The Botanist, a bar and restaurant with an outside terrace. It’s had great reviews.
The Integrated Care Academy (ICA) has been created by the University of Suffolk. This brings together the care system, higher education, local authority and voluntary & community sector to provide learning about integrated care. The ICA will work across three priority areas of mental health, best quality of life as we grow older and end-of-life care.
Tech Campus at Suffolk New College. Just under £1 million has been spent on creating a new Net Zero Technology Campus and Sustainable Construction Centre. I have visited this fantastic facility. It provides training in new technologies like heat pumps, solar panels and Electric Vehicle (EV) chargers. These are very much the technologies and jobs of the future.
Another eight projects are ongoing and at various stages of completion.
The Public Realm project will re-pave areas in the town centre. The focus will be on remodelling the Cornhill end of Lloyds Avenue to provide improved paving, lighting and seating to create a welcoming open space.
Greener Ipswich is looking to provide more trees and green spaces to improve the town centre and Waterfront. One of the main elements is to have a ‘green trail’ starting south of Christchurch Park, running through the town centre and then along the Waterfront. Some of their planters are in place already.
Local Shopping Parades will be enhanced through the Towns Fund. One scheme will provide funds for refurbishment of the external appearance of shopping parades to make them more attractive to shoppers. A second scheme will provide funds for community facilities linked to a shopping parade such as play areas or community meeting spaces.
The Regeneration Fund will lead the revival of the town centre and act as a kick starter to development that tackles underused and dilapidated buildings, deteriorating shop frontages, and high vacancy rates.
The Digital Town Centre project will provide Augmented Reality Trails (which superimposes a computer-generated image on a user’s smartphone or computer view. For example, so you could see what Ipswich was like in Wolsey’s day), Digital Screens and a new All About Ipswich website, which will be managed by Ipswich Central (who represent the town centre businesses).
An Academy of Yacht Building is planned. James Bond arrived in Venice in Casino Royale in a Spirit yacht which was made in Ipswich. Finding people with the right skills for high quality boatbuilding is difficult so training people here is the answer, as well as creating high skilled jobs for Ipswich people.
A Pedestrian Bridge will provide a footbridge across the Prince Philip lock at the estuary entrance to the wet dock, allowing better walking access around the wet dock.
Finally, Paul’s Silo is the big concrete building at the entrance to the Waterfront with a blue octopus painted on it. The aim is to create one of the highest external climbing walls in the country, along with a roof top bar / restaurant / café space that will offer spectacular views across the Waterfront. I’m really looking forward to this one!
These projects are a major investment in Ipswich and will make a major difference to the town over the next couple of years. These are exciting projects and will help create a town that we can all be proud of.