Henley Rise shopping parade gets £50,000 makeover

The big picture: The project is part of a larger £2.4m Towns Fund grant awarded to Ipswich Borough Council by the government to improve local shopping parades across the town.

Details: Local contractor Ashford Wright carried out improvements, including:

• Fresh paint for storefronts

• New street furniture

• Car park improvements

• Landscaping work

The East of England Co-op owns the site and shares the space with six other businesses, including a hairdresser, bakery, launderette, post office and newsagent, pharmacy and fish and chip shop.

What they're saying: Stuart McDonald, Chief Property Officer at the East of England Co-op, said: "This renovation is not just about our Food store, it's enabled us to rejuvenate the entire area for our tenants and visitors too."

Councillor Neil MacDonald, Leader of Ipswich Borough Council, called the transformation "a fantastic example of what can be achieved when local authorities, businesses, and government funding work hand in hand."

The bottom line: The renovation represents one of the first visible results of Ipswich's Towns Fund investment, which aims to boost economic productivity and support sustainable growth in the town.