Why it matters: The application could determine whether the Grade II* listed landmark is restored as a 48-room boutique hotel or converted into residential flats after standing empty since 2008.
The details: John Howard and his business partner, David Carr, who purchased the building last year, are awaiting the outcome of their grant application to the council's Town Regeneration Fund.
They are awaiting an imminent decision on their planning application to convert part of the building into flats, but would prefer to see the hotel brought back into use, which can only be done with public sector support.
Howard is in discussions with BGAM Hospitality to operate the restored building as a four-star, 48-room boutique hotel that would address the "shortage of hotel rooms in the town".
The hotel management company owns and operates a number of branded hotels, including Holiday Inn, Mercure Hotels and Delta Hotels across the UK.
What they're saying: "This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to bring back to life one of the most historic Grade II* buildings in Ipswich," Howard said. "We have a large hotel chain waiting to hear the outcome of our application and commit, along with ourselves, substantial funds to restore and run the hotel. A huge number of local residents, who remember the building from years ago, are excited, as are the rest of Ipswich, to see the building back in use."
He added: "Ipswich Borough Council and their councillors are in a unique position to approve what would be the most popular decision they will have made and support Ipswich town centre in decades."
The bigger picture: The Town Centre Regeneration Fund forms part of the £25m Towns Fund grant from central government, secured in 2021 to regenerate Ipswich.
The £10.5m regeneration strand was designed to tackle underutilised buildings, deteriorating shop frontages and high vacancy rates through grants and council-led acquisitions. However, significant funds remain unallocated with just over a year remaining until the now-extended March 2027 deadline.
While several projects have already received funding, including the acquisition of the former Grimwades building and the recently announced digital skills and creative hub at The Baths, the council is under pressure to allocate the remaining funds before the deadline expires.
For context: The Great White Horse Hotel stands on the corner of Tavern Street and Northgate Street, where a hotel has existed since 1518. The current structure is a 16th or 17th-century timber-framed building that was refronted in the early 19th century.
The hotel achieved literary fame through Charles Dickens, who stayed there several times and featured it prominently in The Pickwick Papers. Thanks to Dickens' popularity, a full-size replica was constructed for the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago as an example of an archetypal British inn.
The building has been on Heritage England's Heritage at Risk register since November 2023 due to its deteriorating condition.
What's next: The council will continue to consider the funding application, which is understood to be in the millions, alongside other applications. If approved, the Great White Horse would undergo comprehensive restoration as a boutique hotel. If unsuccessful, Howard will likely prioritise plans to convert the former hotel into residential accommodation, three retail units and a community space, subject to a separate planning application.
The bottom line: The funding application represents the type of transformational heritage project that many believe the Towns Fund was designed to support, offering a rare chance to restore a landmark building that has defined Ipswich's townscape for centuries.
