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Felt like Leipzig in the 1980’s rather than a modern town. Surely the time has come for an out of town shopping center or mall type development? Ipswich as a retail concept seems utterly finished with no appetite for resurrection of any sort. All very sad really.
[Post edited 30 Jan 2022 9:31]
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Went into Ipswich town center yesterday on 15:36 - Jan 30 with 2109 views
Went into Ipswich town center yesterday on 09:59 - Jan 30 by OldFart71
Must admit since Debenhams closed Ipswich has little to offer. I am off up the A140 for a couple of days in Norwich and from what I have read it has so much more to offer than Ipswich. As has been said the Town needs a major overhaul. But when the footfall is so low and rates and rents so high is it any wonder that the commitment to resurrecting the Town isn't happening and when the Council spend millions on projects like they have in the Cornhill area and then dig it up and start again instead of making it more viable for outlets to open you end up with a ghost Town. Not something you need if and when ITFC once again grace the Premier League.
Was always the case, I grew up in Norwich and it was always nicer. I haven't been to the city in about 5 years and it had changed quite a lot but without losing its charm. I'm headed there for a couple of days next month so Mrs B and T can see where I grew up and have a mooch and I can't wait.
Norwich is a lovely city with an abomination of football club. Ipswich always felt run down... well I guess the town centre did.
Doesn't stand much chance with the retail mecca of lakeside fairly close by.
Went into Ipswich town center yesterday on 15:18 - Jan 30 by MattinLondon
I haven’t lived in Ipswich for years but when I come back what strikes me is that the town centre is actually quite attractive- and has the potential to be a lot better than what it is.
In my opinion there is too much emphasis on retail within the traditional town centre. I think that the only way a town centre can survive within a town like Ipswich is to offer customers something that you can’t get on the internet.
Went into Ipswich town center yesterday on 15:59 - Jan 30 by BlueandTruesince82
Was always the case, I grew up in Norwich and it was always nicer. I haven't been to the city in about 5 years and it had changed quite a lot but without losing its charm. I'm headed there for a couple of days next month so Mrs B and T can see where I grew up and have a mooch and I can't wait.
Norwich is a lovely city with an abomination of football club. Ipswich always felt run down... well I guess the town centre did.
Doesn't stand much chance with the retail mecca of lakeside fairly close by.
I always hate to say it but Norwich is far superior to Ipswich. Football club excluded obviously. In fact Norwich is one of my most favourite cities to visit in the whole country.
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Went into Ipswich town center yesterday on 19:52 - Jan 30 with 1985 views
Went into Ipswich town center yesterday on 10:58 - Jan 30 by Lord_Lucan
They screwed it up by spending stupid money on the green bus station upgrade and seeing the red bus station upgraded and staying where it was. They should have developed a larger "One size fits all" combined bus station with decent facilities - maybe the area behind what was the Co-op and Woolworths. This would bring everything together, they should then have switched the town centre axis around and make it run from Tavern Street to The Waterfront.
[Post edited 30 Jan 2022 10:59]
I love it that I'm not the only one who refers to the green bus station and the red bus station. Do you also buy either red, green or blue milk, LL?
# WE ARE STEALING THE FUTURE FROM OUR CHILDREN --- WE MUST CHANGE COURSE #
Went into Ipswich town center yesterday on 11:03 - Jan 30 by solomon
I’d prefer to see What was snoasis at great Blakenham become a good mall along similar lines as bluewater but smaller, could be very good for the local economy all year round.
Parked at Meadowhall for the game and got the tram in yesterday. The place was absolutely rammed, struggled to get a seat for some lunch.
[Post edited 30 Jan 2022 20:41]
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Went into Ipswich town center yesterday on 20:42 - Jan 30 with 1929 views
Went into Ipswich town center yesterday on 20:23 - Jan 30 by longtimefan
Parked at Meadowhall for the game and got the tram in yesterday. The place was absolutely rammed, struggled to get a seat for some lunch.
[Post edited 30 Jan 2022 20:41]
Meadowhall though is situated at the edge of one of UK's biggest cities and on the doorstep of other large towns and cities - as well as being yards from the M1
“Hello, I'm your MP. Actually I'm not. I'm your candidate. Gosh.”
Boris Johnson canvassing in Henley, 2005.
Went into Ipswich town center yesterday on 15:18 - Jan 30 by MattinLondon
I haven’t lived in Ipswich for years but when I come back what strikes me is that the town centre is actually quite attractive- and has the potential to be a lot better than what it is.
In my opinion there is too much emphasis on retail within the traditional town centre. I think that the only way a town centre can survive within a town like Ipswich is to offer customers something that you can’t get on the internet.
Went into Ipswich town center yesterday on 20:58 - Jan 30 by Lord_Lucan
Meadowhall though is situated at the edge of one of UK's biggest cities and on the doorstep of other large towns and cities - as well as being yards from the M1
Meadowhall ruined Sheffield’s city centre.
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Went into Ipswich town center yesterday on 23:47 - Jan 30 with 1787 views
Went into Ipswich town center yesterday on 15:24 - Jan 30 by Dubtractor
A lot of that (not the aquarium) is in the thinking as far as I'm aware.
It does make me chuckle whenever the EADT run a story about a new cafe/coffee shop or similar though. All the comments underneath bemoaning "why can't we have another Debenhams/there are too many coffee shops etc" which are utterly oblivious to the fact that if department stores still had a place, then we would have one. Department stores are a dying breed - the internet does that role far far better now. And people open cafes because that is where people spend their money.
has it though ? whilst you can buy clothes and some stuff online, department stores used to specialise and sell all kinds of things for your home too, like plates, cutlery, bedlinen, towels, alot of that stuff you bought on touch or look alone. Places like Debenhams used to excel simply by letting your browse at stuff, maybe stuff you didnt even know you wanted
and I was shocked walking through town a few days back how many stores & shops have closed over the past 2 years, and there werent alot of people around for a lunchtime midweek either.
I dont know what the answer is, Im not sure that Ipswich Central know , and appointing another bureaucrat to waste more millions, isnt the answer either.
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Went into Ipswich town center yesterday on 08:03 - Jan 31 with 1694 views
Went into Ipswich town center yesterday on 23:25 - Jan 30 by MattinLondon
Meadowhall ruined Sheffield’s city centre.
Ah, I see. If that was the context of the message that I replied to then I read it wrong.
Meadowhall may have killed Sheffield city centre, I don't know Sheffield very well - although I would certainly agree that it would have severely dented it to say the least when it was opened - and a Wiki search shows that it was over 30 years ago and there are plans afoot to extend it.
I think online sales have killed the town centres more quickly though, at 10pm last night I bought a gadget to child proof my oven door, it cost £6 and it will be delivered today, it would have probably cost me over half of that price to park in town for an hour, an hour which I can't really spare and the chances are this item doesn't exist in Ipswich town centre.
Last week I bought a jumper and top for £50ea and they were also delivered next day, both of these items would have cost well over £100 in a store - and again, I doubt I would have got them in Ipswich.
The town centre still has a roll but I see it more for quirky independents, leisure and events - like French markets etc etc and flagship stores for large chains - which in fact generally now simply act as showrooms for their online presence.
The high street is dead as we know it and the only man who could have saved it died long ago.
[Post edited 31 Jan 2022 8:10]
“Hello, I'm your MP. Actually I'm not. I'm your candidate. Gosh.”
Boris Johnson canvassing in Henley, 2005.
Went into Ipswich town center yesterday on 23:47 - Jan 30 by stonojnr
has it though ? whilst you can buy clothes and some stuff online, department stores used to specialise and sell all kinds of things for your home too, like plates, cutlery, bedlinen, towels, alot of that stuff you bought on touch or look alone. Places like Debenhams used to excel simply by letting your browse at stuff, maybe stuff you didnt even know you wanted
and I was shocked walking through town a few days back how many stores & shops have closed over the past 2 years, and there werent alot of people around for a lunchtime midweek either.
I dont know what the answer is, Im not sure that Ipswich Central know , and appointing another bureaucrat to waste more millions, isnt the answer either.
If you did choose not to shop online, there's a lot of out of town places now though that you buy all that stuff at a fraction of the price Debenhams charged - Dunelm, B&M, The Range etc.
I think a lot of online retailers now do free returns and you can likely take your parcel to your local shop for collection - it's all so easy, and also costs less in terms of both money and your time than going into a town centre.
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Went into Ipswich town center yesterday on 09:06 - Jan 31 with 1634 views
Went into Ipswich town center yesterday on 10:00 - Jan 30 by Dubtractor
"Surely the time has come for an out of town shopping centre or mall type development?"
Have you missed the numerous out of town shopping centres that have already played a part in the decline of the town centre?
This is where Ipswich has suffered from being a small borough with a relatively large population in the builtup area around it. The other councils on its boundaries allow those out of Town shopping centres which suck the footfall and money out of the Town.
Went into Ipswich town center yesterday on 10:29 - Jan 30 by Swansea_Blue
Me neither, but Leipzig looks lovely from pictures.
I'm not saying Ipswich hasn't declined, but I'm always surprised by how good it looks compared to the amount of moaning there is about it. It's doing a lot better than some of the towns in this part of the world. Much better. Obviously it would be nice to improve the place a bit though. How we're going to tackle this issue of town centres is beyond me. It seems beyond the wit of councils everywhere.
Now we are a League 1 side our away days are at similar sized towns and Ipswich is streets ahead - but too many seem to compare it to cities like Norwich especially.
The town centre does need some pruning, and reshaping - without doubt. Losing Debenhams is a huge blow - but there is still enough there
Went into Ipswich town center yesterday on 23:47 - Jan 30 by stonojnr
has it though ? whilst you can buy clothes and some stuff online, department stores used to specialise and sell all kinds of things for your home too, like plates, cutlery, bedlinen, towels, alot of that stuff you bought on touch or look alone. Places like Debenhams used to excel simply by letting your browse at stuff, maybe stuff you didnt even know you wanted
and I was shocked walking through town a few days back how many stores & shops have closed over the past 2 years, and there werent alot of people around for a lunchtime midweek either.
I dont know what the answer is, Im not sure that Ipswich Central know , and appointing another bureaucrat to waste more millions, isnt the answer either.
Indeed, rather than spending (wasting millions) in trying to identfy ways to get more shops in, they should just realise that online killed the high street 10 yeard ago and its been on life support ever since.
The younger generation are now used to ordering online and having it delivered whilst the older (dying out) generation, used to spending a day wandering around are dimishing as each year passes.
The only thing that can really happen is it to be a place of entertainment and eateries. I think the Botanist will attract a few other restaurant chains and Debennhams will be carved up into small retail units, flats etc.
The one thing about Ipswich though is the fact that, yes the town centre looks tired, but no worse than any other up and down the country, but the Docks is really nice, a lovely place to wander. I remember in the mid nineties it consisting of The Malt Kiln and Neptune Snooker club, neither were great by any stretch, the rest of it looked like a complete dump and a bit of a no go area.
Went into Ipswich town center yesterday on 09:09 - Jan 31 by hype313
Indeed, rather than spending (wasting millions) in trying to identfy ways to get more shops in, they should just realise that online killed the high street 10 yeard ago and its been on life support ever since.
The younger generation are now used to ordering online and having it delivered whilst the older (dying out) generation, used to spending a day wandering around are dimishing as each year passes.
The only thing that can really happen is it to be a place of entertainment and eateries. I think the Botanist will attract a few other restaurant chains and Debennhams will be carved up into small retail units, flats etc.
The one thing about Ipswich though is the fact that, yes the town centre looks tired, but no worse than any other up and down the country, but the Docks is really nice, a lovely place to wander. I remember in the mid nineties it consisting of The Malt Kiln and Neptune Snooker club, neither were great by any stretch, the rest of it looked like a complete dump and a bit of a no go area.
Are we getting a Botanist?
“Hello, I'm your MP. Actually I'm not. I'm your candidate. Gosh.”
Boris Johnson canvassing in Henley, 2005.
Went into Ipswich town center yesterday on 09:08 - Jan 31 by itfcjoe
Now we are a League 1 side our away days are at similar sized towns and Ipswich is streets ahead - but too many seem to compare it to cities like Norwich especially.
The town centre does need some pruning, and reshaping - without doubt. Losing Debenhams is a huge blow - but there is still enough there
Actually Norwich is about as good a place to compare it with as you can get. The fact it is a City 'should' be irrelavant, it is similarly sized to Ipswich, within a similar area to Ipswich and just like Ipswich has a large amount of its built up area outside of the City boundaries.
The main difference with Nodge though is that it is pretty remote compared to Ipswich, we can hop on a train and be in that there London in an hour, so is much more self-contained.
The “battle” for town centres across the country has been largely lost, unless the town/city has a tourism element to it. The interweb has won that one, with a larger slice of sales going that way over the coming years. Leisure and housing is the way forward. It’s time to reimagine our towns, away from the old fashioned retail centric vision.
GhostOfEscobar
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Went into Ipswich town center yesterday on 10:03 - Jan 31 with 1573 views
I know nothing about Ipswich, other than 1 visit a few years back where it seemed fine (better than I was expecting listening to threads like this on here over the years at least!).
Anyway, I think the future of high street shopping is both cheap shops and niche more upmarket 'artisan' places, mixed in with entertainment. I guess landlords will have to either accept less in rent or wait to convert their places into residential.
Has anyone ever looked at their own postings for last day or so? Oh my... so sorry. Was Ullaa
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