Have your say on project to tell the stories of Ipswich

You can have your say on how the new Cornhill will celebrate the exciting history and culture of Ipswich.

Ipswich Borough Council has suggested 15 “stories” that reflect this celebration. It’s asking the public to select their four favourites which will be used as a permanent feature to enhance Ipswich’s main town square.

The announcement follows last month’s news of work having begun on the regeneration project, with local contractor Brooks and Wood taking the lead.

The revitalisation is being funded by £1.6million from New Anglia LEP’s Growth Deal with Government, alongside funding from Ipswich Borough Council, Suffolk County Council and Ipswich Central.

The project is being co-ordinated by Ipswich Borough Council on behalf of the Ipswich Vision Group. As one of the key projects of the Vision, it is expected to bring various benefits to the area, including 386 new jobs and 54 new businesses.

Please select your four favourite stories by taking part in the Council’s survey at www.ipswich.gov.uk/cornhillstories

Your choices will be put forward for inclusion on the arches that will be a key feature of the new Cornhill.

The survey closes on Friday 9^th March.

The 15 stories to choose from are:

1. IPSWICH PIONEERS – Cardinal Wolsey, anti-slavery campaigner Thomas Clarkson, aviator Edith Cook, inventor Robert Ransome and remarkable archaeologist and radical thinker Nina Layard.
2. A GLOBAL TOWN – The flows of exploration and immigration that have made Ipswich a global town: Vikings, Huguenots, Eldred, Gosnold, Cavendish, Windrush, south Asia, eastern Europe. Ipswich has reached out to the world and become a celebration of cultures.
3. A PLACE OF WELCOME – Ipswich Borough Council’s declaration: “Ipswich will serve as a Town of Sanctuary for genuine asylum seekers and refugees … forced to flee from their own countries to avoid persecution or danger.”
4. FOOTBALLING KNIGHTS – Sir Alf Ramsey and Sir Bobby Robson. Ipswich Town Football Club is the only club to have produced two England managers. World Cup, Division 1, FA Cup and UEFA Cup winners.
5. WOLSEY’S UNIVERSITY – Cardinal Wolsey began building a great college in Ipswich in 1528. His dream was realised in 2016 by the establishment of the University of Suffolk.
6. THE GATES OF IPSWICH – The gates of Ipswich – North, West, East and South (Wolsey’s gate). The gates represent the historic heart of Ipswich and survive in street and place names.
7. FOUR FIGURES – A new interpretation of the four figures on top the Town Hall: Commerce, Agriculture, Law & Order and Justice.
8. HISTORIC TOWN – Gypeswyk to Ipswich: the oldest Anglo-Saxon town becomes a regional centre for commerce, culture, sport and technology.
9. ARTS AND CULTURE – Museums, theatres, DanceEast and art: Ipswich is a regional centre for arts and culture.
10. GREEN IPSWICH – Green living: Ipswich is home to beautiful parks providing a haven for wildlife and is surrounded by unspoilt countryside.
11. TREASURE HOUSE – Christchurch Mansion houses the finest collection of Constables and Gainsboroughs outside London.
12. IT’S SHOW TIME – Leading shows bring the West End to Ipswich and an ambitious summer events programme makes Ipswich the entertainment capital of the East.
13. METAL WINNERS – Gold, Silver, Bronze and Iron – different colours reflecting different periods in Ipswich’s proud history – Anglo-Saxon, Medieval, Wolsey’s Ipswich and modern day.
14. ROSIE AND FRIENDS – It’s all happening on High Street: explore Ipswich’s astonishing treasure house at the Museum. Visit Rosie, Wool-I-Am and find out about the Ipswich story.
15. MARITIME IPSWICH – A maritime tradition: From Gosnold and Eldred to Nelson and Slade, Ipswich is now East Anglia’s Waterfront town.