Proposed Submission Core Strategy and Policies Development Plan Document Review

Support

Representation ID: 5441

Received: 05/03/2015

Respondent: Ipswich Central

Ipswich Policy Area (P39) - we would be pleased to represent town centre businesses on the Ipswich Policy Board

Object

Representation ID: 5442

Received: 05/03/2015

Respondent: Ipswich Central

Legally compliant? Not specified

Sound? Not specified

Duty to co-operate? Not specified

Retail Development and Main Town Centre issues (P59) - we await details of how the Council proposes to "promote high quality investment and development". In our view, in the retail (including leisure) sector, the issue is not so much vacancy rates (which remain below national averages) but, rather, attracting missing retail names through proactive and entrepreneurial inward investment techniques. We would appreciate urgent discussions on how this should be delivered and whether the responsibility may sit best with ourselves, subject to suitable funding being identified.

Object

Representation ID: 5443

Received: 05/03/2015

Respondent: Ipswich Central

Legally compliant? Not specified

Sound? Not specified

Duty to co-operate? Not specified

Retail Development and Main Town Centre issues (P60) - the emphasis of 'retail' (not just shops, but banks, building societies and food & drink) development must be clustered around the Cornhill and Buttermarket areas and stretching towards the Waterfront. East-west expansion is not realistic.

Object

Representation ID: 5444

Received: 05/03/2015

Respondent: Ipswich Central

Legally compliant? Not specified

Sound? Not specified

Duty to co-operate? Not specified

Key Transport Proposals (P72) - we are concerned at proposals to restrict traffic in the gyratory system to one-lane without substantive alternative measures being put in place. In our view, pedestrian egresses across this area to and from the Waterfront are important but not dependent upon traffic removal.

Object

Representation ID: 5445

Received: 05/03/2015

Respondent: Ipswich Central

Legally compliant? Not specified

Sound? Not specified

Duty to co-operate? Not specified

Car and Cycle Parking (P105) - there seems to be a lack of comprehension that the majority of shoppers and visitors to the town centre do, and will always, prefer to use their car. Retailers also prefer car-borne shoppers who are likely to buy more. It is imperative that Ipswich does everything that it can to attract back the car user, particularly after the Travel Ipswich project that has done much to damage reputations. Ipswich must not be perceived or, worse still become, anti-car.

Object

Representation ID: 5446

Received: 05/03/2015

Respondent: Ipswich Central

Legally compliant? Not specified

Sound? Not specified

Duty to co-operate? Not specified

Central Planning Area (P107) - the zoning policy for A1 to A5 is admirable but possibly unrealistic and unresponsive to changing town centres. Town centres need to change and alternative uses must not be deterred through unduly restrictive planning policy.

Object

Representation ID: 5447

Received: 05/03/2015

Respondent: Ipswich Central

Legally compliant? Not specified

Sound? Not specified

Duty to co-operate? Not specified

Central Planning Area (P107) - the extension of the retail boundary to allow for retail development on the Westgate site is unacceptable for two reasons. Firstly, it is completely contrary to the Council Masterplan and BID Vision to concentrate development around a north-south axis. Secondly, Ipswich has been placed 'on hold' for much retail development and retailer acquisition through clinging for far too long to the uneconomic prospects for a retail-led development on the Cox Lane/Tacket Street site. Simply moving this to the other side of the town will achieve nothing more than creating more uncertainty.

Object

Representation ID: 5448

Received: 05/03/2015

Respondent: Ipswich Central

Legally compliant? Not specified

Sound? Not specified

Duty to co-operate? Not specified

Generally, we are disappointed that there is no mention of the Greater Ipswich Partnership, now extended to include Ipswich's outlying borough councils and more private sector representation.

Object

Representation ID: 5449

Received: 05/03/2015

Respondent: Ipswich Central

Legally compliant? Not specified

Sound? Not specified

Duty to co-operate? Not specified

The Vision should take account of the Greater Ipswich Partnership Vision for change to the central area.

Object

Representation ID: 5450

Received: 05/03/2015

Respondent: Ipswich Central

Legally compliant? Not specified

Sound? Not specified

Duty to co-operate? Not specified

The document talks of a strategy to "enhance[e] the town centre in terms of quantity and quality of the shops..." (P12), but it does not explain how and by when.