Waterloo House:
Have Your Say on the Future of the Cornhill
For half a decade, the building which housed former Debenhams store has stood empty, leaving a scar in our town centre.
I know how frustrated people feel about the situation, a frustration I share. Now, with the Labour-led Ipswich Borough Council taking ownership of Waterloo House, we have a real opportunity to give this important site a new future.
The Cornhill should be somewhere people want to spend time, to shop, eat, meet friends and enjoy everything our town has to offer. It should be a place that makes people proud of Ipswich, not a reminder of what our town centre has lost.
A new opportunity for Ipswich
Using Government funding, Ipswich Borough Council has secured the purchase of Waterloo House, bringing the long-empty building into council ownership. This is a significant moment for the future of our town.
However, I am clear that the aim cannot simply be to replace an empty building - we must create a vibrant, sustainable and attractive destination in the heart of our town that supports the future growth and prosperity of Ipswich.
We should be ambitious about what this space could become and how it can contribute to a town centre that is vibrant, attractive and built for the future.
Ipswich is already changing for the better
There are already reasons to be optimistic. The long-empty Grimwades building on the Cornhill is now home to Jamaica Blue, Lovisa and Suffolk New College’s Education Suite, while The Walk has also been revitalised and the Regent revamped.
Footfall is strengthening too. Nearly 29 million visits were recorded in Ipswich last year, compared with around 24 million in 2019 – almost 20% higher than before the pandemic – driven, in part, by hosting a multitude of events throughout the year.
I am also proud to have secured £20 million of Pride in Place funding for Stoke Park and Chantry, alongside £1.5 million for community projects across Ipswich.
And, although there is a lot more work to do, crime figures in Ipswich have fallen to their lowest levels in a decade. Piece by piece, we are rebuilding confidence and investment in our town.
What should Waterloo House become?
Could it provide new shops, cafés and restaurants? A space for culture, music and entertainment? A skatepark or an ice rink? New public space? Homes or workspace? Community facilities? Or a combination of different uses?
And what else does the wider town centre need to become a place where people want to spend more time? There are no easy answers, but this is an opportunity to think ambitiously about what Ipswich needs.
Have your say
I am asking residents, businesses and everyone who works, studies or spends time in Ipswich to share their ideas.
Your responses will be brought together into a report that I will present to Ipswich Borough Council, ensuring local views are part of the conversation about the future of Waterloo House and our town centre.
The former Debenhams building has stood empty for too long. It should not define the future of Ipswich.
Please take a few minutes to complete the survey and help shape what comes next for the Cornhill.
Together, we can build a town centre that Ipswich can be proud of.
Your responses will be brought together into a report and presented to Ipswich Borough Council to help inform the future of this important site.