More details revealed about plans for derelict Ipswich Waterfront building
The former R&W Paul silo is set for major redevelopment
Plans have been teased for a derelict Ipswich landmark to be redeveloped to include public uses that will offer people spectacular views across the Waterfront.
Full plans for the former R&W Paul silo, which was bought by Ipswich Borough Council in 2018, are still being formed, but the council has said it wants the top part to have a leisure use for the public.
And there are hopes that the slip road from College Street that is currently closed will remain shut so it can be incorporated into public open space plans for the Waterfront gateway area where the temporary car park presently sits.
Labour council leader David Ellesmere said: “We are looking at potential use for the top floor so the public can have access to it for leisure use, and people can get views over the Waterfront. The details are not decided but that’s what we are looking for.”
On the Waterfront gateway area more broadly, Cllr Ellesmere said a length of the wall running from the former merchant house currently undergoing renovation work will be demolished to open up views of the Waterfront, with the whole of the car park area to be incorporated into a new public open space.
“Suffolk County Council are also looking at making the closure of the neighbouring slip road permanent so that it can be incorporated into the public open space,” Cllr Ellesmere said.
“A huge amount of work has been needed but we are now getting to a point where hopefully we will be able to see some work undertaken there. We have got the funding the Borough Council has put aside, funding from New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership, funding from the Towns Fund as well, so there is a lot of effort being put into this and we look forward to announcing some quite exciting plans for the area in the near future.”
Ipswich Borough Council’s decisions register says it has enlisted the services of a structural engineering firm to ‘undertake surveys and a preliminary design of works required to the R&W Paul Silo, for its proposed future usage as mixed use leisure building’.
Ian Fisher, leader of the opposition Conservative group, said the group was disappointed at the length of time the gateway improvements were taking – particularly for the merchant house and Paul’s silo.
“Both these properties have been under council ownership for a number of years and it is sad to see them still in the derelict state they both were in when we purchased them,” he said.
“I think the inactivity to this date hides a complete lack of vision for the area and we have missed opportunities by not developing the site sooner.
“The Conservative group would like to see the Waterfront gateway area transformed into an area that highlights the historical importance of the docks to the town of Ipswich and would like to see the development of a Waterfront visitor centre.
“We welcome the idea of using some parts of the Paul’s silo for leisure useage but years after taking ownership we should be much further forward with the planning than we are at present.
“The £25million Towns Fund grant given to us by the Conservative government is waiting to be spent and the people of Ipswich deserve this area to be something they can be proud of instead of the eyesore it has been over the past few years.”
The borough council has committed £1million from retained business rates for work on the Waterfront gateway site, while up to £4million for the Paul’s Building – derelict for nearly 25 years now – has been allocated from the £25m Towns Fund. It is understood New Anglia LEP has allocated around £3m.
Oliver Holmes from the council’s Liberal Democrat group, said: “The Liberal Democrats would like to see this important gateway site brought back into use as soon as possible and we look forward to seeing the detailed plans.
“We support the proposals to close the slip road and to make this space and the temporary car park available for what could be a really attractive entrance to the Waterfront.”