The Regal in Stowmarket hosts showcase event for businesses and councillors ahead of major town centre investment

An event has shown optimism, hope and caution as millions are poured into improving a market town.

This morning, The Regal, in Ipswich Street, Stowmarket, was host to businesses and representatives from councillors at every level of government.

The event was meant to showcase the millions in investment being poured into the town centre by Mid Suffolk District Council.

Recently, the district council approved a £1.5 million initiative, paid for through income from Gateway 14, with the main focus of bringing empty high street units back into use.

The council’s leader, Andy Mellen, said the council needed to give people different reasons to not only visit the town but spend time in it.

He added: “We can’t turn the clock but we can invest in the town’s future and we are determined to make our mark in the town.

“All these initiatives, we hope, will help to create the conditions for the town centre to thrive, and if our district’s main market town thrives, so will the towns and villages around it.”

The first round of the initiative is now open, with bids welcomed until November 15, and will see the council working with landlords by either buying buildings, renting them out for a short term, or helping in refurbishments.

Cllr Mellen said the council was encouraging a range of bids to come forward, from cultural experiences, to tourism, retail, food and drink, as well as pop-up shops.

On top of this, the council is also investing £400,000 into helping existing shop and property owners improve the appearance of their shop frontage, as well as £360,000 into not only increasing scheduled street cleaning and ground maintenance work in Stowmarket but also creating a new team for urgent and reactive street clearing issues across the district.

Central to the investment, several councillors mentioned in conversation, was the need to end the idea Stowmarket was punching below its weight as a town.

Town councillor Nick Gowrley said: “There’s a great deal to be grateful for but we recognise, however, there’s also a great deal that needs to be done and top of that list is the town centre.”

“[The town centre] certainly deserves all the help it can get — it needs some love and some attention.”

Cllr Mellen also announced the council had commissioned a feasibility study to attract investment for hotel accommodation, as well as launched the Mid Suffolk Taxi Bus initiative to improve transport connections around and into Stowmarket.

Underlying the event, however, was a sense of caution as schemes still needed to be delivered.

The town’s clerk, David Blackburn, said although the schemes were welcomed, judgment would be reserved until after they were delivered.

He added: “The bit we’re interested in as a town council is if there is going to be anything really different on the ground as a result of all of this — if this morning is a launch pad for that, that would be great.

“Schemes are great and initiatives are great but how quickly are we going to see that money doing stuff, that’s the million-dollar question.”

On the business side of things, he stressed, there was a scepticism born out of years of promises.

Mr Blackburn said: “With businesses, there is a legacy from too many councils saying too much and then not actually delivering something, they’ll only believe what they see with their own eyes.

“We are very pleased, we are very positive, but we have to see the evidence of it being delivered.”