Paul Clement
Ipswich: Town centre aims to attract more visitors says Paul Clement
By Paul Geater
Saturday, January 28, 2012
6:02 AM
IPSWICH is preparing for a major push to win visitors from other regional centres as it aims to join up the Waterfront and the traditional town centre.
But Paul Clement, director of Ipswich Central – the BID company aiming to boost the town centre – warned that while there was great potential for the town, its retail offer was unlikely to match some rivals for some time.
“But retail is not the be-all and end-all of the town centre and we do see hope that it will improve over the next few years.
“What Ipswich has to look at is what it has to offer that is different, what is its unique selling point – and there is considerable optimism in that,” he said.
Ipswich Central unveiled a new vision for the town centre last year that enabled it to get a huge majority in favour of continuing to run the town’s BID.
And the borough has published a masterplan – similar to Ipswich Central’s vision – which involves shifting the axis of the town centre from its current east-west orientation to north-south from Tower Ramparts and Christchurch Park to the Waterfront.
Mr Clement said: “We have a lot going for us in Ipswich, the Waterfront and the historic town centre have much to attract people – linking the two parts of the town centre is vital and that is what we are looking at.
“I am confident that in the next five years that will become a reality.”
He backed up many of Mary Portas’ comments on the viability of town centres.
“She said it is vital that you should look at strengthening them, but she also said that you should not concentrate solely on retailing.
“You need a mix with shops, banks, restaurants, bars, and leisure facilities like cinemas and theatres.
“And you need to allow them to grow naturally, a few years ago it was all about planning them and working out which buildings would be good against each other but that is not the answer – you have to allow centres to develop as people want them to.”
Mr Clement said the new Tesco development at Grafton Way and the proposed Waitrose/John Lewis At Home at Ransome’s Way would complement the town centre.
And he felt that those who lived and worked in the town did not always see the benefits of Ipswich.
“There are actually more restaurants and cafes in the town centre than you might imagine ,” he said.
And he emphasised Ipswich was looking to boost its position as a rival to other regional centres like Norwich, Cambridge, Colchester and Chelmsford.
He said: “I see it as a major regional centre competing with towns and cities of a comparable size, not in competition with other towns in Suffolk.”
New developments set to transform the town:
The Link: The new development on the site of Archant’s offices in Lower Brook Street is seen as a crucial link between the traditional town centre and the Waterfront.
There has already been considerable interest in the proposed retail and cafe/bars proposed for the ground floor and developers are marketing the office space which is seen as vital to the scheme.
Tower Ramparts: The 25-year-old shopping centre was bought by LaSalle Investment Management at the end of last year.
The company, which owns and runs shopping centres across the country, has said it hopes to revitalise the centre and reconfigure some of the empty units in an attempt to attract high-profile tenants.
In the long term it is also looking to expand it into what is currently the Tower Ramparts bus station and possibly to include a car parking element.
New bus station: A new single bus station for buses from both the town and the countryside could be developed. One possible site for this is the current Tacket Street Car Park – which is part of the “Mint Quarter” site which has been destined for redevelopment for the last 20 years.
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10 comments
as has been stated , it is Ipswich !! I think the new tesco will really hurt the dying town centre , whose great idea was that when the westgate centre was waiting for an anchor ?? now Westgate will just be a hole in the ground for years ! Ipswich WILL NEVER BE Norwich or Cambridge , don't bother trying .... ipswich is seen by retailers as rather value led ie cheap and cheerful ,and rather way down the list of required towns .. look at how long Littlewoods has been empty , plus now the Co-op and TJ Hughes . The waterfront as a focus ?? What with traffic thundering through and rather decrepid surroundings ?? Ipswich already had too many empty shops , it doesn't need more !
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sgm
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
I agree with Randall Bevan. The blame for the mess our town is in lies squarely at the door of our Comedy Council (affectionately called that, but the demise of Ipswich is no laughing matter). More plans do NOT equal a vibrant and prosperous town. There's no use trying to link the town centre and the Wonderful Waterfront unless the disaster area of Carr Street, Upper Orwell Street, and Major's Corner is sorted out.
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PC Plod
Monday, January 30, 2012
Let's be honest, even if they paved the streets with chocolate, had dancing girls in every shop doorway and chaufeur driven limosines from the park and ride sites to the shop you wanted to visit (free of charge of course) - the fact is that it's still Ipswich. I would rather have major surgery without painkillers than visit the place. I wonder how long it will be before one of the ideas listed above appears in a BID document or utters forth from Mr Clements mouth?
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Citizen
Monday, January 30, 2012
Come to Ipswich - we've still trying! Visited us before - come again - it hasn't changed much! :-)
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BlipThePeanut's Dad
Monday, January 30, 2012
I agree with A West = rhetoric,rhetoric rhetoric, plans mor plans and more plans. The town needs to be promoted perhaps more than other towns given its neglect in recent years! We had a Town Guide thirty years ago circulated nationwide. The EATB promoted the town far and wide in nationalinternational magazines. I visited Scandinavia,Holland etc to bring tourists to Ipswich especially through the football club-BBC cross country in the parks - Zola Budd et al, Civic Concerts at the Gaumont, Film Festivals at the Film Theatre, Top world class coaches seminars, shopping expeditions to Ipswich via Stena Line and DFDS etc use of the Mayor's office as Welcoming Ipswich promotion. We had many USPs but they were lost with a Borough Council who reverted to the usual socialist approach increase parking charges and let others do the promoting!! It needs dynamism to reassert Ipswich's attributes not another PLAN!!!!!????
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randall bevan
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Because of course, a whopping-great Tesco on Commercial Road generating day-long congestion and taking millions of pounds worth of business from the town centre's really going to give the centre a boost.
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beerlover
Saturday, January 28, 2012
The Link development is often mentioned; wonder why? But I see the town as west-east for shopping and then a walk or drive to the waterfront. I don't see much future for retail in Lower Brook street and I think it will end up primarily as office space.
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Johnthebap
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Let's face it things can only improve, it can't get any worse surely.
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england1770
Saturday, January 28, 2012
You can park all day in Colchester for £2.50; so if you live to the west of Ipsiwch there is little incentive to choose Ipsiwch over Colchester. Colchester has much cheaper, more convenient, more availble parking; a better range of shops and less empty stores. Ipswich Central should look at what Colchester is doing right and try and correct some of the damage that has been done to Ipsiwch with rate hikes, parking hikes etc and give us our town back...
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Emmy Lou
Saturday, January 28, 2012
This article is the best laugh I have had for a while, so Carr St & Westgate St are going to be left to degenerate into a slum area whilst Argent who are downsizing in Ippswich fill there spare space with cafes etc. The town centre is a dump campared with Norwich & Colchester, I have never seen in my life time such a waste of council money (apart for giles square £6000.000) which is given to planners and the group which is in charge of promoting our TOWN. What next a up 45 degree nnw and 35.5 degree ssn road with a shopping area or may be underground town centre, keep it up it`s real funny. I make this the 5th plan since the 60s to make Ipswich a nice place to shop!!
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a west
Saturday, January 28, 2012