Town Topics with Ipswich Chamber of Commerce

The eyes of Ipswich, Suffolk and the rest of the world are firmly fixed thousands of miles away over the next month as the FIFA World Cup takes place in Brazil.

My colleague John Dugmore, the Chief Executive of Suffolk Chamber has recently written in Archant’s Coastal Scene that the greatest show on earth watched by millions of people is a great opportunity for business.

In Ipswich, despite the late kick offs in South America, our bars, clubs and restaurants will be busier than ever in June and July and people will come together to eat, drink and watch the leading nations on earth play against each other.

This is good news for our county town. There is pressure on town and city centres from out-of-town retail and business parks and online shopping. Therefore it is vital that Ipswich provides an exciting, attractive and differentiated proposition whether that is during the World Cup or after it.

This is why the Vision for Ipswich as East Anglia’s Waterfront Town has been so well received by Government and was the key factor in Ipswich Central being awarded the X-Fund last year.

The work involved in creating the Vision, which connects the town historically, physically and emotionally in the mind-set of residents, visitors and businesses, demonstrated that a partnership approach is essential to the change required in Ipswich.

The Ipswich Chamber of Commerce is delighted to be a leading player in the Greater Ipswich Partnership which has been formed to continue delivery of change for the town, with reference to the Vision. The Partnership has set nine immediate priorities under 3 headings - physical, image and infrastructure.

The Greater Ipswich Partnership includes New Anglia LEP, Suffolk County Council, ourselves Ipswich Chamber of Commerce, Ipswich Borough Council and Ipswich Central.

So let’s welcome visitors to our town as the nation comes together to enjoy events in Brazil and let’s celebrate that work is underway to keep them coming back all year around.

Dave Muller

Chair

Ipswich Chamber of Commerce