OPINION: Phone and vape shops plagueing Ipswich must end

As someone who lives in Ipswich, works in Ipswich, and writes about the town every day, I have seen the steady change of the town centre over the last four years.

Most notably, the number of phone and vape shops that are now in the town. It's getting ridiculous.

In just November, I have written at least one story every week about the opening of a phone and vape shop in our high street, one in Westgate Street and the other in Tavern Street in a historic building.

There are a number of phone and vape shops in Ipswich (Image: Tom Cann)

There are a number of phone and vape shops in Ipswich (Image: Tom Cann)

I know the general opinion of Ipswich isn't good, our commenters regularly remind us, but this town has so much to be proud of, and the high street lets it down massively.

Walking from one end of the high street, starting at Westgate Street, to the end of Carr Street and incorporating Butter Market and Upper Brook Street, I counted 18 shops that specialise solely in phones and/or vapes.

If it wasn't for Mr Simms sweet shop there would be four in a row.

Some of these have been in the town centre for years and have provided people, myself included, with important phone repair work that doesn't cost too much and I see people inside regularly when I walk past.

There are a number of phone and vape shops in Ipswich (Image: Tom Cann)

There are a number of phone and vape shops in Ipswich (Image: Tom Cann)

However, some have opened in the town over the last 18 or so months, and I have never seen anyone inside - how do they stay open with the cost of bills and electricity (bearing in mind the amount of neon lights they all seem to have that are on for nine plus hours a day).

The comments when we do a story on another phone or vape shop tend to be "why can't the council do something" or "the council is ruining the high street".

The thing is, this has nothing to do with the council. They don't have any powers to stop these shops from opening because the premises already have the correct Class use.

There are a number of phone and vape shops in Ipswich (Image: Tom Cann)

There are a number of phone and vape shops in Ipswich (Image: Tom Cann)

I imagine if they did, they would be more inclined to stop these shops from constantly taking over units and opening.

That's why I think it is so important that the council get powers to control these businesses.

Ipswich MP Jack Abbott recently welcomed the start of the Pride in Place scheme, which empowers local councils to block what is described as "unwanted businesses".

The more legitimate phone and vape shops in the town centre that have been here for years are also getting annoyed with the number of illegitimate businesses that have opened, giving ones that have built up a customer base and had a unit in the town centre for years a bad name.

Phone Expert in Ipswich (Image: Tom Cann)

Vape Shop Outlet has been in Ipswich for 12 years and has built a strong customer base (Image: Oli Picton)

I'm not against getting rid of all of them, because they do provide a service for people. Everyone has a phone, so phone shops are naturally going to be needed. Vape shops help people to stop smoking and are important for that.

But there are far too many now, that I just can't see how they all think Ipswich is the right place to open when there's clearly an over-concentration of them in the town.

I want to see empty shop units filled, of course I do, enough is enough. They ruin the character of the town, the historic nature of the town is tarnished with some of the listed buildings used as a vape shop and is contributing to less people in the town and people thinking Ipswich is all bad - when it isn't.