What should happen at Ipswich Cornhill?

Ipswich: Sir Stuart’s piazza gets the nod over market in our poll

BY MATT BUNN Friday, September 21, 2012
5:32 PM

COMMUNITY leaders today admitted improvements will need to be made to the Cornhill if shoppers are going to return to the town.

Poll results

676 people voted in our poll asking whether the market should be moved or not

444 people voted in favour of changes being made to the Cornhill.

232 people voted against change.

Opinions have been split after Sir Stuart Rose’s address at the Beacon Town conference earlier this month suggested Ipswich Market should be relocated, possibly to Lloyds Avenue, to make way for an open piazza.

Since Sir Stuart’s comments were made, two different visions for the future of the town have emerged.

One vision would see the market stay where it is while the other would see the Cornhill cleared to allow for cafes and bars and to use the space for events.

Following an Ipswich Star poll, we can today reveal that our readers would like to see an overhaul of the Cornhill to make way for cafes and bars.

Out of 676 people who took part in our poll, 444 people, just over 65 per cent, voted in favour of moving the market and transforming the area.

Ipswich MP Ben Gummer, agreed that major changes need to be made at the Cornhill if shoppers are going to be attracted back to Ipswich but hoped a compromise could be reached.

He added: “ The Borough, Ipswich Central and I are keen to see the market retained. It [the poll] tells you what the people of Ipswich want, which is an improved town centre.

“You can’t sit back and hope something will come along because it won’t, you have to make it happen. By doing nothing, it will just get worse and worse.”

Paul Clement, executive director of Ipswich Central, believes the debate should not focus on the market but the future of the Cornhill and what it could offer the town.

He added: “What I’m saying is there is an unlocked opportunity here and it would be foolish not to look at it.”

The Ipswich Star attempted to contact the manager of the market, but he was not available for comment.

Do you think the Cornhill needs to be improved? Write to Your Letters, Ipswich Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN, or e-mail starletters @archant.co.uk

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9 comments

You state 676 people voted in our poll asking whether the market should be moved or not. You then go on to say that 444 people voted in favour of changes being made to the Cornhill. Sorry, what was the question?

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Silverhead44

Saturday, September 22, 2012
Levs Dan has it spot on. I suspect the council have got glamourous visions of turning the Cornhill into something which would only really look right in a much more tourist oriented town or somewhere which has a climate where people spend more time outdoors. The council really should concentrate on what they can do to improve the town centre as a whole - and as for the market, there is no better place for it! Sir Stuart Rose seems a bit sniffy to me - doesn't like working class traders cluttering the place up etc. I think Ipswich's market is one of the most distinctive things about the town, and shouldn't be shunted aside for overpriced lattes!

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IpswichExile

Friday, September 21, 2012
The 'Arts and entertainments' part of the council are doing a FANTASTIC job of getting people to come to Ipswich, we only need the other departments to catch up and get some shopsbarscafes etc so they stay longer, want to come again, and spend. But will the council listen to the fact that EVERYONE complains about parking costs?

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scrooge

Friday, September 21, 2012
in My view saying they need to overhaul the corn hill to get people to shop in Ipswich is a very short sighted view bordering on ignorance. if the other (more major) issues are not sorted out then it wouldn't make an ounce of difference. one major difference between Ipswich and every toncity with successful high streets is car parking. it is both over priced and far too sparse. this coupled with the moronic road "Improvement"(?) schemes being carried out in this town which will serve only to increase congestion and put more people coming into the town. the other point is the fact that a town square in general has always been a traditional location for an open air market. this should be made a feature and a focal point in what can be a very successful county "TOWN" if run correctly. not shoved aside so we can all get rained on while drinking overpriced coffee in what would probably end up being an underused space. the own as a whole is in need of improvement and maybe focusing on bringing the whole shopping area up to scratch would prove more profitable. also if they want events on the corn hill, there are 3 says a week that the market isn't on. it can be a valuable shared space, and there is no reason there can't be an area of it used for cafe space even when the market is on. the matter has been treated as black and white and is in face far from it........rant over.

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Levs Dan

Friday, September 21, 2012
How many readers abstained? And how many spoiled their ballots in protest?

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bigger niche

Friday, September 21, 2012
I keep hearing a lot about these pavement cafes. Surely they are a bit like open air swimming pools - useful for about three months of the year.

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TOBY P.

Friday, September 21, 2012
Great idea, just remind me of how many days we have which enable us to sit out in the sunshine, unlike other European towns. For Example, this year would have been a wash out until August, but the market still turns up every week, rain or shine

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A Rust

Friday, September 21, 2012
I think there are two points to be made here. Firstly the headline is misleading as voters were asked to vote for changes to be made to the Cornhill, not specifically to vote for a Piazza. Secondly, there far more changes needing to be made to the Town in addition to the Cornhill. There is so much to be done and a Piazza is not the only solution. I personally do not drink tea or coffee and haven’t either the time or the wish to sit on a drafty table on the Cornhill observing the horrendous folk of Ipswich. No that’s defiantly not for me!

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David White

Friday, September 21, 2012
Good stuff! Although you do still have a habit of making it sound like people want to get rid of the market altogether. It's not an either or choice, its about having BOTH and shifting the market just 50 metres away. Let's hope they can see it through!

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Scott Brock

Friday, September 21, 2012