Town's waterfront links 'must improve'

AN HISTORIC waterfront that has undergone a multi-million pound regeneration is isolated from a town centre by a number of “dead” properties, a watchdog has warned.

In the latest edition of the Ipswich Society newsletter, editor Neil Salmon says the areas of Fore Street, Star Lane and St Peter's Street act as a cut off point between the town centre and the regenerated Waterfront development.

He warns that because of the number of “dead” properties that are no longer in use visitors who are dropped off at the Orwell Quay find it hard to locate the middle of town.

Mr Salmon told the EADT yesterday: “There is no doubt the Waterfront is becoming a major part of the town and it's good to see money invested. Unfortunately there are some dead areas nearby that act as a cut off point between this development and the middle of Ipswich.

“There are properties empty in Fore Street, St Peter's Street and Star Lane and you just feel isolated from the town centre. Bits and pieces of these streets are fine with some wonderful buildings but other parts are run down and nothing seems to be happening.

“Some of the dead properties are probably now on the turn and the borough council have made improvements to the area in between, such as the re-paving in Fore Street, but there is still some way to go.

“As Fore Street and St Peter's Street become more lively we will see more businesses start to move in and it will help enormously to improve the feel of the area but we are a long way off at the moment.”

A spokesman for Ipswich Borough Council said the area between the town centre and the Waterfront was a key part of the authority's overall strategy for the future.

He added: “The Waterfront is the biggest regeneration project in the East of England, with hundreds of millions of pounds worth of work completed or in the pipeline.

“The development of cultural facilities and the Education Quarter will help to bring the Waterfront and the town centre closer but we are constantly looking at ways to improve this - for example, the county's major transport bid, which the Borough Council supports, calls for better north/south pedestrian links.”

Meanwhile chairman of Ipswich Society Jack Chapman said the group would soon be meeting with developers to discuss what would be done in the Mint Quarter, between Upper Brook Street and Upper Orwell Street.

In the newsletter Mr Chapman said the society was keen to put their views across and stressed they did not want to see a new bus station or shopping mall but a mix of residential and retail.

He said he hoped the area would be used to attract small-scale businesses and craft shops, similar to what is already in place at the Lanes in Brighton.