New steps are being made to improve footfall around Ipswich's shopping parades as part of the £25m Town Deal. 

Ipswich Borough Council is progressing with the next step of the local shopping parades project which will see £2.8m invested with the view to return parades to "their former vibrancy".

This will be done in three ways, including £1.5m spent on larger parades, a further £1m in smaller parades and £300,000 on improving community facilities and driving up footfall.

Funding for the project forms part of the £25m Towns Deal for Ipswich.

Businesses, residents, MPs and councillors have worked together on the project with the vision to encourage people to visit and spend more time and money in their local shopping area.

Ipswich Borough Council's executive will discuss the plans on Tuesday evening and vote to authorise the grant agreements in regards to the community improvement works.

READ MORE: Ipswich Borough Council receive nearly £8m for town centre

In a document to Ipswich Borough Council's executive, the council received 16 project proposals and will take forward 13 of them, which will cost a total of £161,000 to improve areas and footfall.

The parade areas identified for improvement include plans to install new benches, bins, more CCTV, new planters, and planting, as well as working together to determine the drivers for increasing footfall.

Councillor Neil MacDonald, leader of Ipswich Borough Council, said he was thrilled about the 13 proposals and said they will "offer benefits to the community" and support parades in bringing in more visitors. 

He said: “Improvements to our Local Shopping Parades will encourage more visitors, longer stays, and more spend in the shops.

These projects support the council’s long-term vision to provide economic growth and opportunities for local people."

For the larger improvement works, Under phase 1 of the project, £1.5m is planned to be spent on approving parades in: Cauldwell Hall Road/Woodbridge Road, Penshurst Road, Selkirk Road, Garrick Way, Meredith Road, Ulster Avenue, Felixstowe Road, Nacton Road, Queensway, Ellebrook Green, Hawthorn Drive, Stoke Park Drive and Wherstead Road.

A further million would be focused on parades in: Foxhall Road, St Helen's Street, Bixley Road/Foxhall Road, Brunswick Road, Cauldwell Hall Road (Spring Road/St John's Road end), Woodbridge Road East, Bramford Road, Dales Road, Fircroft Road, Norwich Road, Cliff Lane, Ravenswood, Reynolds Road, Cambridge Drive, Dickens Road, Lavender Hill and Maidenhall Green.

Azzouz El-Mahraoui, chair of the shopping parade taskforce, said: “With an estimated £2.8 million budget, our aim is to establish safe areas where residents and communities can spend time, creating vibrant shopping facilities which are used by all.

"These substantial projects will create opportunities for local businesses to use this funding to create better community and shopping hubs.

"The task force is here to work with the political leaders, partners, local businesses, and residents to turn this project into a great success.”