Why it matters: The decision commits the authority to spending up to £5m more on developing fresh plans for the former Burtons building, St Peter's Dock car park and Paul's Silo, bringing total potential investment to £8.8m – before any works begin.
The big picture: The waterfront regeneration has become a costly saga for the council, which has spent the past decade trying to get the site back into use, only to see multiple development schemes collapse. All three buildings were purchased separately between 2015-2018, with individual regeneration plans that failed for different reasons.
Plans to convert the Burtons building into an arts and media hub fell through in 2020 due to the pandemic, while a scheme to turn Paul's Silo into a leisure attraction with a rooftop restaurant was dropped last year due to a lack of interest.
Council leader Cllr Neil MacDonald said the site remained a focus for the authority to create "high-quality, mixed-use neighbourhoods."
The details: The £3.8m already spent includes £1.5m to purchase the buildings and land, with the remainder covering site maintenance, staff costs, design fees, surveys and other professional advice.
The new £5m will fund developing a plan rather than project delivery, with money released in stages to ensure value. Further funding will need to be agreed, should the council decide to progress with any new scheme.
Conservative Group leader Cllr Ian Fisher questioned whether it was affordable to set aside £5m for a new scheme, given the money already spent on the site.
What's next: The council report states any new plan should provide much-needed housing, attract local businesses and stimulate the economy through increased footfall. A timeline for the project has not been announced.
For context: This follows the council's July decision to fast-track procurement of a specialist development partner through an "urgent decision" process, emphasising the decade-long effort to transform the western gateway to the waterfront.
The bottom line: After years of failed schemes and mounting costs, Ipswich councillors are backing another attempt to breathe life into some of the town's most prominent empty buildings, though questions remain about the project's affordability and viability.
