Police have recovered a man's body from Needham Lake following a weekend-long search operation. The death is not being treated as suspicious.
What's new: A body was discovered in Needham Lake, Suffolk, on Sunday evening during a search for a missing man.
The body was recovered from the water on 29 September
Police say the death is not being treated as suspicious
Background:
Searches began on Friday 27 September at Needham Lake, off Coddenham Road.
The operation continued throughout the weekend.
Multiple agencies were involved, including Suffolk Lowland Search and Rescue (SULSAR) and Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service.
Why it matters: The discovery brings closure to the search operation, though it represents a tragic outcome for the missing person's family and friends.
What's next:
A file will be prepared for the coroner
The deceased's next of kin have been notified
The bottom line: While the search has concluded, authorities have not released further details about the man's identity or the circumstances surrounding his disappearance and death.
It has emerged there is no contractual obligation for M&S to maintain its high street store alongside its new "brand-defining" Copdock development, despite positive sentiment from council leaders.
It has emerged there is no contractual obligation for M&S to maintain its high street store alongside its new "brand-defining" Copdock development, despite positive sentiment from council leaders.
M&S have no contractual obligation to maintain their Westgate Street store in the town centre once the development of their new Copdock store is completeOliver Rouane-WilliamsIpswich.co.uk
What they said: "The investment has been enabled by Ipswich Borough Council and Suffolk County Council, as owners of the Freehold and Long Leasehold of the site and secures an ongoing M&S presence in Ipswich town centre," said the announcement.
Colin Kreidewolf, Chair of Ipswich Borough Assets, Ipswich Borough Council’s property investment arm, said "The sale to M&S is coupled with the retailer retaining its Ipswich town centre presence."
Suffolk County Council leader Matthew Hicks noted the deal "retains their long-standing presence in the town centre."
Neil MacDonald, Leader of Ipswich Borough Council, said: “This is fantastic news for Ipswich. Ipswich gets the best of M&S with a new store at Copdock and a town centre store."
Plans for the new "brand-defining" 60,000 sq ft store in CopdockM&S
What's emerged since: Responding to questions from Ipswich.co.uk about the terms of the deal, MacDonald said that the council "worked hard during the negotiations to ensure that Ipswich was able to maintain its M&S high street presence," but he confirmed "there is no contractual agreement."
He added that M&S are "investing significant amounts of money in the Westgate St store," though no figures have been disclosed and neither M&S nor the council has provided specific details about the investment in the Westgate Street site.
Why it matters: The revelation raises serious questions about the long-term future of M&S's high street presence and prompts fresh concerns about the council’s commitment to Ipswich’s town centre. Ipswich.co.uk editor, Oliver Rouane-Williams shares his take below.
Opinion
The council's announcement of this deal was, frankly, misleading.
The language used was clear; deliberately intended to give the impression that the development of the new Copdock site was conditional on M&S maintaining it's high street presence.
It isn't.
We now know that M&S has no obligation to keep their Westgate Street store open.
While that doesn't mean it's a foregone conclusion the company will close it following the opening of the Copdock store, it will ultimately come down to numbers.
M&S own the Westgate Street premises, so they will likely keep the store open for as long as it remains commercially viable.
However, there lies the big question: Will the high street store remain commercially viable with a new "brand-defining 60,000 sq ft store" opening in Copdock and a large store already in Martlesham – both of which have better access and parking?
The fact that no other town the size of Ipswich has three large M&S stores suggests not, but only time will tell.
When the new store opens in 2027/28, shoppers will need to vote with their wallets and M&S will act accordingly.
The bottom line: Despite the positive language used by both council leaders and M&S, the lack of contractual obligation over its town centre future means M&S's long-term high street presence remains entirely at the company's discretion.
