Ipswich Central and All About Ipswich have collaborated to form a new strategy for Ipswich town centre, a model known as a ’15-minute city’, as a way of helping the town centre recover post-pandemic, by having everything within 15 minutes on foot, bike or public transport.
It aims to help the number of people living in the town centre grow, and hence help new housing developments occur on unused sites, as well as by converting redundant buildings and empty upper floors.
They are also trying to help more people live and stay locally and encourage urban living, through schools and educational facilities, music venues, an outdoor gym, as well as more outdoor recreation facilities.
The plan also hopes to involve neighbourhood shopping parades and local high streets, due to the new model of hybrid working increasing demand for local amenities, as well as helping the town centre become a place for London commuters to live in and around and making Ipswich and wider Suffolk a place for people to visit.
Chair of Ipswich Central, Terry Baxter, said “This is a bold plan which recognises that in the new, post-covid world, our town centre will need to rely less upon retail and develop a new purpose as a place to live and visit. This new strategy for Ipswich commits to many more people living centrally and having around them all that they will need to live their lives locally. It is exceptionally ambitious and demonstrates that, once again, we are ahead of the game. Not only have all partners signed-up to the strategy, but we also have £25 million from the government’s Town Fund to help kick-start the revival. I want to thank our Vision partners for working so hard with us to develop this plan.”
Chair of All About Ipswich, Professor Dave Muller said “The leisure, entertainment and hospitality sectors have been hard hit by the pandemic. But, as businesses in and around the town start to reopen, they will recognise that this plan will help to define Ipswich as an accessible, convenient and connected place to visit and stay.”
The scheme will be funded by the £25 million Town Fund which Ipswich received earlier in the month from the government.
Photo source: BBC
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