Independent business forum resurfaces tensions between council parking strategy and town centre prosperity

The sold-out meeting on Wednesday, 5 March at The Hidden Garden Cafe at Puzzle Boutique saw around 40 business owners come together to discuss the town's economic future.

An introduction from Ipswich Central: The session began with quick introductions, before Lee Walker, CEO of Ipswich Central (the Business Improvement District for Ipswich), was invited to address the gathering.

Walker spoke passionately about learning from other places and the power of collective voice before outlining the work that Ipswich Central is doing to support town centre traders, including the BID's calendar of events, starting with "Sipswich" – an ale trail launching this week and featuring 15 participating pubs and bars, some of which were represented at the forum.

Challenging perceptions: He also issued a plea to attendees to think carefully about how they collectively talk about the town, saying: "Ipswich is not an unsafe place. If we keep saying it's unsafe, people will continue to believe it is."

This message was reinforced by Hudson Group owner and Ipswich Central chairman Steve Flory, who rallied traders to push back against trolling on social media, stressing it was "everyone’s responsibility" and in "everyone's interest" to challenge the people running this town down and change people's perceptions.

Challenging concerns: Councillor Sam Murray raised concerns about female safety, a topic which clearly resonated with many other female attendees who shared their experiences and those of their friends and families, and were supported by male traders with wives and daughters.

But without representation from the appropriate council leaders or police, conversation was steered towards topics that could be addressed in the present.

Contentious moments: While the event maintained a broadly positive tone, a more divisive exchange occurred when Councillor Jane Riley, Executive for Culture & Customers at Ipswich Borough Council, defended the council's car parking strategy and price increases – much to the visible frustration of all business owners in the room.

When challenged that IBC prioritises short-term funding needs over long-term town centre prosperity, she responded that she has "never understood" how "people can say the parking is too expensive but they will happily pay £8 for a coffee."

Her comment prompted immediate pushback from business owners in attendance, who collectively emphasised that lower parking fees would increase footfall and enable customers to spend more at town centre businesses – including on coffee – and pleaded with the council to listen to business owners and reassess their parking strategy.

What's next: Parnell committed to capturing and summarising the topics discussed at the forum, with plans to circulate these key points before a second meeting takes place. This follow-up forum will allow for more detailed discussions on specific issues raised during the initial gathering.

What they're saying: Following the event, organiser Sam Parnell thanked those who turned out and said: "Seeing people continue to invest in our town, not just financially but also with their time and energy, is incredibly powerful."

Parnell also highlighted the support from "Ipswich Central and Ipswich Borough Council with representation from both political parties," adding: "There's a clear drive and energy right now to look at change, and we're excited to see where this momentum takes us next."

The bottom line: With 40 attendees representing the diversity of Ipswich's business community, this initial forum marked what Parnell called "a big step forward" in bringing decision-makers and business owners together to collaborate on practical solutions.