The Cornhill has been the focal point of Ipswich town centre for centuries, and took on its current appearance in the Victorian era with the construction of the Town Hall and former Post Office building (now Lloyds Bank).

However it has evolved over the years – from the 1930s to the 1950s there was a small car park outside the Town Hall.

From then until the late 1970s the Cornhill was the main town centre bus interchange and the Cornhill was paved in the mid-1980s after the Lloyds Avenue arch was closed to traffic.

The market moved on to the Cornhill in 2002 after a major campaign spearheaded by the Star.

What happens next? People have until the end of the month to give their views on the proposed changes to the Cornhill.

Once we have the results of the public consultation, architects Hall McKnight will develop the designs further in preparation for a formal planning application.

That will be discussed during the winter.

If given the green light, it is hoped to begin construction work in late 2017 – that will have to wait until work on Queen Street is completed because the market will need to move there, especially during the construction phase at the Cornhill.

One of the most eye-catching proposals is the tower, and there are two options for this – or it might be dropped altogether.

The tower is one part of the design concept and is included as an option to give visual depth and a destination point for visitors. The tower is also proposed as one of the main building elements forming a general focus for people passing through the Cornhill area.

The on-site construction phase will take about 12 months to complete, so the new-look Cornhill should be complete by Christmas 2018.