East Suffolk Council
Council reinforces support for lifeblood town centres
East Suffolk Council has pledged to extend its support for town centres with the launch of a new programme designed to foster long-term prosperity and sustainability.
Cabinet members this week approved an additional revenue budget of £537,000 to support delivery of the new Town Development Programme over three years from next April.
The renewed pledge builds on the work of the East Suffolk Towns Revitalisation Programme in delivering evidence-based actions plans, resources, and grant support for 12 key towns and villages to develop locally identified priorities since 2019. East Suffolk Council secured £900,000 of external funding and invested £270,000 for the programme to support town centres through delivery of covid recovery and resilience assistance, town apps, websites and branding, skills and training, capital improvements, and events development.
East Suffolk Towns Revitalisation Programme
Succeeding the East Suffolk Towns Revitalisation Programme from next April, the new three-year Town Development Programme will aim to continue and evolve existing support provided to towns, while strengthening partnership working with town councils, business associations, Business Improvement Districts and other local town groups.
Cllr Tim Wilson, Cabinet member for Economic Development and Transport, said:
“Town centres are the lifeblood of our communities and local economy – providing key services, employment, leisure and entertainment – and this Council is committed to supporting their economic viability.
“Our high streets face a number of ongoing challenges – not least from the rise of out-of-town and online retail – but we are now able to continue working closely with town councils, business associations, residents and visitors, to deliver local ambitions which ultimately drive footfall and diversify town centres.”
The East Suffolk Towns Revitalisation Programme included grant funding towards the creation of a town visitor website for Southwold, grant funding for enhancements to the Choose Woodbridge, Visit Felixstowe, Visit Leiston and Visit Beccles websites, and grant funding for the employment of marketing coordinators and projects in Halesworth, Saxmundham, Lowestoft and Bungay.
Meanwhile, a project to provide local training for businesses to support customers living with dementia led to a successful submission to the Alzheimer’s Society for Bungay to be acknowledged as a Dementia Friendly Community.
Capital improvements included displays of local artwork and photographs in empty shop windows in Halesworth, and renovated town signs and maps in many towns elsewhere, as well as installation of new benches, finger posts and dropped kerbs.
The programme grant pot has also awarded funds to cover event equipment to support weekly town markets, as well as larger grants to support the two Business Improvement Districts with event programmes and other event organisers to hold town centre events.
The Black Shuck Festival, in Bungay, was successfully piloted in 2022 following an East Suffolk Council sponsored webinar with First Light Director, Wayne Hemmingway MBE, and subsequent grant funding. Meanwhile, the six-day Love Felixstowe festival was delivered with the support of East Suffolk Council through funding and volunteers in both 2022 and 2023.