£25million for Ipswich
It's thanks to Towns Fund cash
Ipswich’s two MPs have welcomed the announcement from the Chancellor that the town is set to benefit from a big cash boost of £25 million in Government funding.
In the Budget, Chancellor Rishi Sunak confirmed that Ipswich is set to receive the maximum allocation of £25 million in the latest tranche of successful bids for the Government’s Towns Fund initiative.
Central Suffolk & North Ipswich MP Dr Dan Poulter and Ipswich MP Tom Hunt have worked hard to successfully deliver this cash for Ipswich.
The money will provide an important opportunity to improve the lives of people throughout the town including in communities like Whitton, Whitehouse, Chantry and Gainsborough which will see improvements to their local shopping parades and community facilities. The town centre will also see a welcome cash boost to support its regeneration as Ipswich shops and businesses begin to recover after a difficult year caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
Working together, both of the town’s MPs have ensured that at every step of the bidding process, the priorities of local residents have come first and that the money will help to deliver what residents most want for their communities. The success of the Ipswich bid was in a large part the result of taking a different approach to the town’s priorities, listening to residents and looking to the needs of the whole town and not just at the town centre.
Areas of the town that have felt left behind in the past and which have traditionally been overlooked will benefit from the Government money with £3 million for local shopping parade improvements throughout the town. There will also be cash for projects including town centre and waterfront regeneration, the restoration of the former St Paul’s silo building which could turn an eyesore into a valuable asset, and funding to support a new care academy to train the next generation of health and social care workers at the university.
Member of Parliament for Central Suffolk and North Ipswich, Dr Dan Poulter said:
"I am pleased to have played a key role in delivering £25 million for the town. This money will provide a fantastic boost for North West Ipswich where residents will see a real difference and improvements to their local shopping parades. These local community shops are a vital asset for those living and working in the area and investment in local shopping parades is one of the key ways we can make this money reach furthest for people across every community in Ipswich.
TThere have been previous attempts to regenerate Ipswich, but this time our approach must be different if we want to get it right. Tom and I have worked hard together to achieve this, and we are delighted with the successful outcome and look forward to seeing these projects, backed by the people of Ipswich, coming to reality over the next 3 years."
Member of Parliament for Ipswich, Tom Hunt said:
"I'm very pleased that we have secured the full £25 million. Together the 11 projects that will be funded provide a significant boost to our Town at just the right time.
"Both myself and Dr Dan Poulter are keen to ensure that this new investment gets right across the Town, particularly to some of the areas that understandably feel like they been a bit left behind in recent years.
"There is much that has excited me about the investment we will be getting. From the investment in skills and opportunities for young people, the training of the next generation of nurses and social care staff, and the giving of a new lease of life to many of our Town’s most iconic buildings that have been allowed to fall into disrepair and redundance for too long, this money will make a real difference.
"When the Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick visited Ipswich before the last General Election some local figures poured scorn on the visit. One even dismissed it as an "election bribe". Personally, I believe that this £25 million is a real demonstration of the Government's commitment to the Town and that the vast majority of my constituents will welcome it. Hopefully, there may be more Government investment over the coming years."