The Government’s Town Deal is supporting 100 towns across England with £3.6 billion of funding, and Ipswich has been shortlisted as one of the 100 places in the country that has not always benefited from economic growth in the same way as more prosperous areas.
As a result, Ipswich Central, the Business Improvement District (BID) for Ipswich representing over 630 town centre and waterfront businesses, is working with the Ipswich Vision group on an ambitious plan that will form the proposal to win up to a £25 million share of the funding.
A central part of the proposal is going to be the creation of a digital ecosystem for Ipswich, which will benefit the local economy and all communities in the town.
Terry Baxter, Chair of Ipswich Central explained; “The digital vision is central to the Town Deal proposal we are putting forward to Government and pulls all the projects together to benefit everyone.
“Investment in digital infrastructure will help to make Ipswich more accessible. It will benefit all our communities by enhancing the town centre environment, making it safer and sustainable, as well as making sure that for those visiting and working in the town, the experience is much more pleasurable.”
“We need to make sure any funding we are given, is spent wisely and we are working collaboratively with local councils, businesses and community organisations to put the detailed plan together. It is our intention to hold a ‘Vision Workshop’ in March, where attendees will be encouraged to submit questions and provide feedback on the proposal before it goes to the Government.”
Picture of Terry Baxter supplied by Archant
