We've written to council chief exec Helen Pluck – here's why

When Ipswich Borough Council took control of the City of Culture 2029 bid, one of its first significant decisions was to designate Newsquest's local titles — the Ipswich Star and the East Anglian Daily Times — as the bid's "official media partner."

The bid team has confirmed that the designation carries no contract, no financial commitment, and no exclusivity. There was no tender. There was no procurement process. If the title means so little in formal terms, the question is not why Newsquest received it — it is why no other outlet has.

Inside Ipswich council chief’s seven-week push for City of Culture

Seven weeks. Four shortlist places. One shot. Here is the inside scoop on Ipswich’s City of Culture 2029 bid, and the people and decisions that will define it.

Ipswich.co.ukOliver Rouane-Williams

Why it matters

Ipswich.co.uk was the first media outlet in the country to champion the City of Culture bid. We reported on the original ambition, the Expression of Interest, and have been present at every significant stage of the campaign's development — most recently contributing to this week's Vision Workshop at The Regent Theatre, which marked the moment the bid team brought key partners together for the first time to shape its narrative.

We are proud of that record, and we intend to continue it. But scrutiny and support are not in conflict. A bid that cannot withstand fair, independent coverage is not a bid that is ready for a national panel of judges.

The government's own feedback to the bid team — shared with partners at Wednesday's workshop — identified momentum as a strength. Fragmenting the local media landscape does not build momentum. It dissipates it.

If the "official media partner" designation carries no contract, no money, and no exclusivity, there is no meaningful obstacle to extending it to every local media outlet prepared to champion the bid. And yet the council has not done so. We have asked. We have not received a response.

Our open letter

We are publishing our letter to council chief executive Helen Pluck in full. It reads as follows:

Dear Helen,

Ipswich is seven weeks from submitting the most consequential piece of work this town has produced in years. The City of Culture 2029 bid is a rare and genuine opportunity — one that could reshape Ipswich's reputation, attract investment, and create real cultural infrastructure for years to come. It deserves every possible advantage.

That is precisely why I am writing to you directly about a decision that risks undermining one of the bid's most critical assets: the support of local media.

Newsquest's titles — the Ipswich Star and the East Anglian Daily Times — have been designated the bid's "official local media partner." As stated by the bid team, this designation carries no contract, no financial commitment, and no exclusivity. If that is the case, there is no meaningful obstacle to extending the same designation to every local media outlet prepared to champion the bid. And yet, to date, the council has not done so.

Ipswich.co.uk was the first media outlet to champion the bid. We have covered every stage of its development, amplified its ambitions, and contributed significantly. Scrutiny and support are not in conflict. A bid that cannot withstand fair coverage is not a bid that is ready for a national panel of judges.

I am not writing to complain about Newsquest. I am writing because the approach taken has created an unnecessary hierarchy among local media at exactly the moment the bid needs all of us pulling in the same direction. The government's own feedback to your team identified reach and momentum as strengths. Fragmenting the local media landscape does not build momentum — it dissipates it.

The ask is simple. In the same way that the council expects media coverage to be fair, balanced, and impartial, we expect the council to apply the same principle to how it engages with local media. That means a level playing field: no outlet elevated above others without a fair process, and no outlet excluded from an opportunity to officially back a bid that belongs to all of Ipswich.

We are asking the council to announce that all local media outlets — including Ipswich.co.uk — are official media partners of the City of Culture 2029 bid, and that no special treatment be given to any one media outlet.

All we are asking for is consistency, fairness, and the kind of collaborative approach that gives this bid its best possible chance. The clock is running. Let's not waste another day on something this straightforward.

Yours,

Oliver Rouane-Williams
Editor, Ipswich.co.uk

Add your voice

This bid belongs to Ipswich. If you agree that it deserves the support of every local media outlet — on a fair and equal basis — please take a moment to send a polite email to Helen Pluck, Ipswich Borough Council's chief executive, at helen.pluck@ipswich.gov.uk.

You are welcome to copy and paste the message below:

Dear Helen,

I am writing as a resident of Ipswich to ask that Ipswich Borough Council reconsider its decision to designate a single media group as the official media partner for the City of Culture 2029 bid.

With the full bid due on 10 August, the council needs as many local voices as possible pulling in the same direction. I would ask that the council extend the official media partner designation to all local outlets prepared to support the bid, including Ipswich.co.uk.

This bid belongs to all of Ipswich. Please make sure its media strategy reflects that.

Yours sincerely,
[Your name]

The bottom line

The ask could not be simpler: extend the official media partner status to every outlet prepared to back this bid. The council took the reins on City of Culture. It now has seven weeks to make the case of a lifetime for this town. That case will be stronger with every local voice behind it.

Don't forget: If you enjoy our content, please add Ipswich.co.uk as a "preferred source" on Google so you can easily find more of the content you value.

This article cost us ~£81 to produce

It's free for you to read thanks to the generous support of our partners. Please support us by supporting them.