Ipswich Borough Council’s Executive is set to award up to £5.3m of the Town Centre Regeneration Fund (part of the Ipswich Town Deal) to five projects designed to bring empty spaces back into use and increase the vitality of the Town Centre.
The selected projects have been chosen on the advice of an independent expert panel bringing extensive property investment, development and agency expertise.
Successful projects will initially be awarded a small development grant to help applicants achieve the next stage in testing the feasibility and full costs of each project before the independent expert panel considers whether a larger grant can be made to enable the projects to be delivered.
Awarding up to £5.3m to these projects leaves a further £5m in the fund for the Council to bring other buildings back into use. The Council intends to focus on buildings not currently in their ownership which are considered by the independent expert panel to be key to unlocking the vitality of the town centre.
Councillor Neil MacDonald, Ipswich Borough Council Leader, says:
“There are some very exciting projects being recommended by the expert panel and I look forward to being able to reveal them when further checks have been made on their viability.
The Towns Fund programme is set to make a real difference to the town centre as work progresses on Greener Ipswich, Digital Ipswich, the development of Lloyds Avenue, and now the Regeneration Fund. These build on the previous projects at The Botanist, Suffolk New College and the University.”
David Ralph, the Town Deal and Ipswich Vision Board Chair, says:
“There were 21 applications to the Regeneration Fund and the best five have been selected by the expert panel. I look forward to the projects coming to fruition and helping Ipswich to thrive.”
Full papers for the Ipswich Borough Council Executive meeting on Tuesday 10 September 2024 at 6pm can be found online at: Agenda for Executive on Tuesday 10th September 2024, 6.00 pm | Democracy Online | Ipswich Borough Council
