An ambitious blueprint to reinvigorate Lowestoft town centre has been unveiled featuring ambitions for up-market hotels, new green spaces and vibrant waterfront nightlife.
The Lowestoft Masterplan was unveiled at East Suffolk Council’s full council meeting on Thursday night in which it proposed to create four distinct areas of the town centre anchored by London Road North.
Councillors said the future of the town centre was no longer just about retail, and hoped instead to make the town an attractive destination in culture, tourism and leisure too.
MORE: East Point Pavilion secures £720,000 grant for revampThe four zones are the Station Quarter, Heart of Lowestoft, Innovation Axis and Historic Quarter which will link up with each other to create a better experience for residents, shoppers, tourists and businesses.
The Station Quarter will feature a more attractive entrance to the town and could include a hub for local artists and visiting exhibitions, lively pedestrian area around Station Square and riverside pub and dining experience around the Custom House and QD buildings.
The Heart of Lowestoft will be the hub of retail and culture activity, including ‘pocket parks’ of green space, the area around the Britten Centre being updated and a revamp of the Wilko and Battery Green car park.
The Innovation Axis will redevelop large vacant retail units into a hub of business, community and education organisations, and could feature the old Beales store becoming a research facility for marine science.
The Historic Quarter will celebrate the town’s history and encourage creative activities.
That includes a fresh look at the Triangle Market, Town Hall improvements and colourful redesigns in The Scores.
Councillor Craig Rivett, deputy leader, said the masterplan would tie in with existing regeneration schemes such as East Point Pavilion and Heritage Action Zone schemes.
He said: “The surge of momentum progressing Lowestoft for a more prosperous future is here.
“As a Lowestoft lad I could never have imagined a list of investments that had the breadth and length of opportunities.”
The masterplan is linked to the town being included in the government’s list of 100 spots eligible to bid for up to £25million in Towns Fund regeneration projects,
The plan also aims to help address areas of deprivation and the issues with opportunities that comes with that, as well as being more attractive for investors.
Councillor Peter Byatt said: “This is something we can really get our teeth into and look at how the north and south heritage action zones work together so that they address lifting Lowestoft from its period of neglect.”
Full details of the masterplan are available on the council’s website here.
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