News
Suffolk fly-tipping cases top 4,000 as government plans tougher fines
Suffolk councils recorded 4,144 fly-tipping incidents last year, but issued just 54 fines, as the Government prepares to raise maximum penalties by 400% to £5,000.
Ipswich Borough Council
Ipswich Borough Council is the local authority for Ipswich, Suffolk.
Long Reads
Exclusive: The demolition of Debenhams
Ipswich.co.uk can exclusively reveal that Ipswich Borough Council has acquired the former Debenhams building for £4m and plans to demolish it after the current owner, Unex, stripped it bare and allowed it to become a "blight" on our high street for half a decade.
News
Lloyds Avenue work to begin this year, six years on
Ipswich Borough Council says construction on the Lloyds Avenue revamp will finally go ahead, after Suffolk County Council approved the highways work needed – six years after the scheme was first proposed and five years after funding was secured.
News
Council's bagged waste crackdown cuts town centre mess by two-thirds
Weeks after Ipswich.co.uk highlighted bin bags piling up outside town centre shops, the council says enforcement action has cut the number left out on the street each week from 84 to 29.
Long Reads
'I'm not sorry, and I'd leak it again' – Conservative councillor Ian Fisher speaks out
In an exclusive interview, Ian Fisher tells Ipswich.co.uk exactly why he leaked confidential council information – and why he would do it again. Now publicly disciplined for it, the Conservative group leader is asking whether a Labour councillor would have faced the same reckoning.
Long Reads
Council claim anti-social behaviour crackdown in town centre is working...but won't (or can't) prove it
Ipswich Borough Council says a partnership with Suffolk Police is cutting anti-social behaviour in the town centre – but when asked to provide evidence to back up the claims, neither the council nor the police could...or would.
News
Council U-turns on hosepipe ban explanation for street clean-up delay
Ipswich Borough Council has offered a different explanation for why street cleaning on Upper Brook Street paused for two days – dropping its earlier reference to the hosepipe ban in favour of "operational reasons," despite initially saying the ban was behind the stop.
News
Hosepipe ban stops vandalised paddling pool being refilled
Vandals have left broken glass in and around Bourne paddling pool overnight, forcing Ipswich Borough Council to drain it – with the current hosepipe ban meaning it cannot be refilled.
News
Mental health support bench installed in Christchurch Park
A new bench offering a peaceful spot in the greenery, and a direct link to mental health support, has been installed in Christchurch Park — the third of its kind in Ipswich.
News
Hosepipe ban grinds Ipswich town centre clean-up to a halt after less than two hours
The clean-up we reported on Upper Brook Street this morning generated much excitement before grinding to a halt after just a short stretch. The council has confirmed the hosepipe ban is behind the sudden stop.
News
John Lewis seeks to widen product range at struggling Ipswich store
John Lewis and Partners has applied to Ipswich Borough Council to sell clothing, footwear and accessories at its Futura Retail Park store, after admitting it is one of the retailer's worst-performing outlets.
News
Youth campaign urges councils to fund free period products
Ipswich Period Rights has written to Ipswich Borough Council and Suffolk County Council calling for free period products in council-run public toilets. The letter has been backed by 15 local organisations and businesses.