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Went into Ipswich town center yesterday 09:31 - Jan 30 with 6758 viewssolomon

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 09:59 - Jan 30 with 4047 viewsOldFart71

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.
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Went into Ipswich town center yesterday on 10:00 - Jan 30 with 4034 viewsDubtractor

"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?

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Went into Ipswich town center yesterday on 10:05 - Jan 30 with 4000 viewsYou_Bloo_Right

Never been to Leipzig.

For a look at current government thinking on the future of the high street in general ...

https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201719/cmselect/cmcomloc/1010/full-repor

"We are convinced that high streets and town centres will survive, and thrive, in 2030 if they adapt, becoming activity-based community gathering places where retail is a smaller part of a wider range of uses and activities."

One major issue for me is that there is no "one size fits all" solution for town centres as a piece, therefore an increase in local control for me would be essential to a reinvention of any town centre but the issues are complex and the finances doubly so.

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Went into Ipswich town center yesterday on 10:15 - Jan 30 with 3962 viewssolomon

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?


If town centers and their respective councils consistently fail to evolve with customer demand then they don’t deserve to survive really. I’ve long suspected that the problem with our decision makers is that they are too regressive in their approach to our town center, there seems to be little vision, maybe it needs younger minds, ideas and leadership from within the borough council ?
[Post edited 30 Jan 2022 10:16]
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Went into Ipswich town center yesterday on 10:17 - Jan 30 with 3947 viewsGuthrum

Went into Ipswich town center yesterday on 10:05 - Jan 30 by You_Bloo_Right

Never been to Leipzig.

For a look at current government thinking on the future of the high street in general ...

https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201719/cmselect/cmcomloc/1010/full-repor

"We are convinced that high streets and town centres will survive, and thrive, in 2030 if they adapt, becoming activity-based community gathering places where retail is a smaller part of a wider range of uses and activities."

One major issue for me is that there is no "one size fits all" solution for town centres as a piece, therefore an increase in local control for me would be essential to a reinvention of any town centre but the issues are complex and the finances doubly so.


Another issue is that 'activity-based community gathering places' cannot afford the commercial rents charged by town/city centre landlords. A lot of shops can't, already, which is why they're closing or moving to retail parks and non-central shopping streets.

Until that changes, town and city centres will continue to wither.

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Went into Ipswich town center yesterday on 10:22 - Jan 30 with 3919 viewsYou_Bloo_Right

Went into Ipswich town center yesterday on 10:15 - Jan 30 by solomon

If town centers and their respective councils consistently fail to evolve with customer demand then they don’t deserve to survive really. I’ve long suspected that the problem with our decision makers is that they are too regressive in their approach to our town center, there seems to be little vision, maybe it needs younger minds, ideas and leadership from within the borough council ?
[Post edited 30 Jan 2022 10:16]


But why focus on retail when that very focus has been a major contributary factor to town centre decline?

Why are properties vacant? What balance between retail and "other uses" is right for a town centre? What are those "other uses"? How do you get the town centre you want?

The only answer I have to that last question is, "not by using an 80 year old model of what a town centre 'should be'".

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Went into Ipswich town center yesterday on 10:26 - Jan 30 with 3896 viewsGuthrum

Went into Ipswich town center yesterday on 10:15 - Jan 30 by solomon

If town centers and their respective councils consistently fail to evolve with customer demand then they don’t deserve to survive really. I’ve long suspected that the problem with our decision makers is that they are too regressive in their approach to our town center, there seems to be little vision, maybe it needs younger minds, ideas and leadership from within the borough council ?
[Post edited 30 Jan 2022 10:16]


Customer demand has shifted online. Why go into a town centre where there are traffic jams and expensive parking, when you can sit at home, click and get it delivered?

Shops will obviously not disappear altogether (bookshops survived the rise of Amazon), but they will have to learn how to compete in a marketplace where they are no longer the only place you can get clothes, food, stationary, etc. - probably by specialisation, customer service and the ability to have your goods instantly.

However, it's very difficult for local authorities to develop policy around that, without causing themselves financial issues (free parking, subsided rents and public transport).

Newmarket was a case in point. The car park in the Rookery/Guineas was free. People used to come from Cambridge and Bury to shop there. Then they messed it about for months and started charging. Now the Guineas is half empty and the High Street is mostly food or gambling outlets and charity shops.

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Went into Ipswich town center yesterday on 10:27 - Jan 30 with 3880 viewsYou_Bloo_Right

Went into Ipswich town center yesterday on 10:17 - Jan 30 by Guthrum

Another issue is that 'activity-based community gathering places' cannot afford the commercial rents charged by town/city centre landlords. A lot of shops can't, already, which is why they're closing or moving to retail parks and non-central shopping streets.

Until that changes, town and city centres will continue to wither.


Absolutely agree that commercial rents are a huge issue.

Totally unworkable and full of holes but I'd allow local concils to increase the rate charge for empty properties year on year to "encourage" commercial owners to rent properties out at a fairer rent. But I freely admit that the concept is based on the idea that many commercial properties are owned by hedge funds and the like who are not that concerned about rental income but simply the property value.

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Went into Ipswich town center yesterday on 10:29 - Jan 30 with 3854 viewsSwansea_Blue

Went into Ipswich town center yesterday on 10:05 - Jan 30 by You_Bloo_Right

Never been to Leipzig.

For a look at current government thinking on the future of the high street in general ...

https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201719/cmselect/cmcomloc/1010/full-repor

"We are convinced that high streets and town centres will survive, and thrive, in 2030 if they adapt, becoming activity-based community gathering places where retail is a smaller part of a wider range of uses and activities."

One major issue for me is that there is no "one size fits all" solution for town centres as a piece, therefore an increase in local control for me would be essential to a reinvention of any town centre but the issues are complex and the finances doubly so.


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.

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Went into Ipswich town center yesterday on 10:47 - Jan 30 with 3771 viewstivo

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.


The town centre is too big. it needs to be condensed down dramatically. If there were no limitations I would set out the following plan:

- Shops/business' on Carr St incentivised to moved to Tavern/Westgate St to fill vacant shops.
- Same for Upper Brook St (East Side)
- Carr St properties redeveloped in line with the new school to make it a mixed housing / school village area with the Carr St kept pedestrianised. Possibly keep one store front for a decent size local supermarket.
- Compulsory purchase / fine the owners of all the listed/gorgeous buildings around St. Nicholas/Peters St. to get them back available for use and to build a gateway route to the waterfront.
- Pedestrianise this during day time hours and create a new entrance to the Cromwell Car Park going Straight onto Fransiscan way.
- Feck off the owners who bought flats at the waterfront and are trying to block social/nightlife development down there. Literally publicly shame them for being so fricking stupid and NIMBY!
- Compulsory purchase the land between St. Peters & St. Mary churches and turn into a walled park linking the two. The land is unsafe with the current fencing, open concrete holes.
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Went into Ipswich town center yesterday on 10:58 - Jan 30 with 3725 viewsLord_Lucan

Went into Ipswich town center yesterday on 10:05 - Jan 30 by You_Bloo_Right

Never been to Leipzig.

For a look at current government thinking on the future of the high street in general ...

https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201719/cmselect/cmcomloc/1010/full-repor

"We are convinced that high streets and town centres will survive, and thrive, in 2030 if they adapt, becoming activity-based community gathering places where retail is a smaller part of a wider range of uses and activities."

One major issue for me is that there is no "one size fits all" solution for town centres as a piece, therefore an increase in local control for me would be essential to a reinvention of any town centre but the issues are complex and the finances doubly so.


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]

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Went into Ipswich town center yesterday on 10:59 - Jan 30 with 3720 viewssolomon

Went into Ipswich town center yesterday on 10:22 - Jan 30 by You_Bloo_Right

But why focus on retail when that very focus has been a major contributary factor to town centre decline?

Why are properties vacant? What balance between retail and "other uses" is right for a town centre? What are those "other uses"? How do you get the town centre you want?

The only answer I have to that last question is, "not by using an 80 year old model of what a town centre 'should be'".


Exactly! It’s a lack of vision, it looks lost with no signs of a tangible solution from the decision makers.
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Went into Ipswich town center yesterday on 11:03 - Jan 30 with 3702 viewssolomon

Went into Ipswich town center yesterday on 10:26 - Jan 30 by Guthrum

Customer demand has shifted online. Why go into a town centre where there are traffic jams and expensive parking, when you can sit at home, click and get it delivered?

Shops will obviously not disappear altogether (bookshops survived the rise of Amazon), but they will have to learn how to compete in a marketplace where they are no longer the only place you can get clothes, food, stationary, etc. - probably by specialisation, customer service and the ability to have your goods instantly.

However, it's very difficult for local authorities to develop policy around that, without causing themselves financial issues (free parking, subsided rents and public transport).

Newmarket was a case in point. The car park in the Rookery/Guineas was free. People used to come from Cambridge and Bury to shop there. Then they messed it about for months and started charging. Now the Guineas is half empty and the High Street is mostly food or gambling outlets and charity shops.


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.
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Went into Ipswich town center yesterday on 11:07 - Jan 30 with 3685 viewsfabian_illness

My memories of ipswich town centre from the late 70’s through to the late 80’s when I was a youngster.
Saturday morning. Cheap bus into town. 11 or 11a. No car parking necessary.
We’d go and pay the bills, then maybe a trip to tooks or Debenhams cafe if my Nan was feeling flush. Woolworths, there was always something you needed in there, C&A to replace the jumper you’d grown out of.
Every few weeks we’d go to the corn exchange or the ABC for a film, maybe take my swimming kit when Crown pools opened.
There was always loads to do in town, we never drove, always buses.
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Went into Ipswich town center yesterday on 11:15 - Jan 30 with 3649 viewsElephantintheRoom

To be fair one if the key reasons for the decline in the Town centre IS the out of town shopping centres

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Went into Ipswich town center yesterday on 13:34 - Jan 30 with 3389 viewsXYZ

Not a great comparison. I went to Leipzig in 1980 and it was a fine historic city and well maintained.

Home to the church where JS Bach did much of his work.

I'm afraid Ipswich was never in Leipzig's league.
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Went into Ipswich town center yesterday on 13:43 - Jan 30 with 3364 viewsjaykay

Went into Ipswich town center yesterday on 13:34 - Jan 30 by XYZ

Not a great comparison. I went to Leipzig in 1980 and it was a fine historic city and well maintained.

Home to the church where JS Bach did much of his work.

I'm afraid Ipswich was never in Leipzig's league.


good shout. i enjoyed my stay there why the poster picked leipzig i will never know, when he could have picked pyongyang for the shopping experience
edit for spelling mistake
[Post edited 30 Jan 2022 13:43]

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Went into Ipswich town center yesterday on 13:56 - Jan 30 with 3317 viewssolomon

Went into Ipswich town center yesterday on 13:43 - Jan 30 by jaykay

good shout. i enjoyed my stay there why the poster picked leipzig i will never know, when he could have picked pyongyang for the shopping experience
edit for spelling mistake
[Post edited 30 Jan 2022 13:43]


My uncle spent time there before the re-unification if Germany, said it was bleak beyond measure. That’s why.
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Went into Ipswich town center yesterday on 14:00 - Jan 30 with 3303 viewssolomon

Went into Ipswich town center yesterday on 11:15 - Jan 30 by ElephantintheRoom

To be fair one if the key reasons for the decline in the Town centre IS the out of town shopping centres


Ipswich has no competition from an out of town venture and has still managed to make a bit of a mess of things, there’s no defence really.

There’s no reason why Ipswich couldn't have a store like Fenwicks in Colchester.
[Post edited 30 Jan 2022 14:05]
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Went into Ipswich town center yesterday on 14:14 - Jan 30 with 3245 viewsSwansea_Blue

Went into Ipswich town center yesterday on 13:34 - Jan 30 by XYZ

Not a great comparison. I went to Leipzig in 1980 and it was a fine historic city and well maintained.

Home to the church where JS Bach did much of his work.

I'm afraid Ipswich was never in Leipzig's league.


Ah, that was in the 80s. Now the locals walk around grumbling that the place has turned into Ipswich!

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Went into Ipswich town center yesterday on 15:10 - Jan 30 with 3108 viewsbrogansnose

Went into Ipswich town center yesterday on 10:26 - Jan 30 by Guthrum

Customer demand has shifted online. Why go into a town centre where there are traffic jams and expensive parking, when you can sit at home, click and get it delivered?

Shops will obviously not disappear altogether (bookshops survived the rise of Amazon), but they will have to learn how to compete in a marketplace where they are no longer the only place you can get clothes, food, stationary, etc. - probably by specialisation, customer service and the ability to have your goods instantly.

However, it's very difficult for local authorities to develop policy around that, without causing themselves financial issues (free parking, subsided rents and public transport).

Newmarket was a case in point. The car park in the Rookery/Guineas was free. People used to come from Cambridge and Bury to shop there. Then they messed it about for months and started charging. Now the Guineas is half empty and the High Street is mostly food or gambling outlets and charity shops.


Absolutely spot on with that last paragraph Guthers concerning Newmarket which has also not been helped by having a local council being so fixated on the racing industry to the detriment of anything else. Conversely Ely, with free parking and now easy to get directly into the city, is doing well and a pleasant place to go for the day.


Town centres are all in flux nationwide and local councils should be at the forefront of their survival , rejuvenation and viability.
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Went into Ipswich town center yesterday on 15:18 - Jan 30 with 3070 viewsMattinLondon

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.

Maybe small independent cinema can be set-up in a small ex-retail unit. Then if that’s successful a small quirky café will consider opening up next to it. Maybe an aquarium can be built somewhere and a restaurant can be built next to it.

I’m just thinking out loud but there needs to be a change of vision for the town.
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Went into Ipswich town center yesterday on 15:22 - Jan 30 with 3059 viewsBluespeed225

The battle since the council border changers in 74' has seen East Suffolk, Babergh open all sorts in what we know IS Ipswich, but Ipswich Borough is tiny in comparison. This has created the doughtnut effect for the Town Center. Meanwhile, 1000's of houses built by these authorities, all using the Ipswich infrastructure, leads to the congestion we all know.
'Greater Ipswich' runs from Claydon to Felixstowe like it or not. I'll throw in Woodbridge too, just to pee off the residents. Unitary rule? Would be nice. Never gonna happen.
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Went into Ipswich town center yesterday on 15:24 - Jan 30 with 3051 viewsDubtractor

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.

Maybe small independent cinema can be set-up in a small ex-retail unit. Then if that’s successful a small quirky café will consider opening up next to it. Maybe an aquarium can be built somewhere and a restaurant can be built next to it.

I’m just thinking out loud but there needs to be a change of vision for the town.


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.

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Went into Ipswich town center yesterday on 15:30 - Jan 30 with 3029 viewsMattinLondon

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.


I’m guessing that those comments are from people who still think it’s 1985.

Town centres, for places like Ipswich, where tourists don’t visit in huge numbers need to embrace the future.
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