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Ipswich town centre resurgence continues as Sports Direct prepares for opening next week

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Sports Direct signs are now visible at the former BHS building, as the retailer prepares to open its doors on Friday, November 29 in a major boost for Ipswich's high street.

Why it matters: The 25,000 sq ft store marks the end of seven years of vacancy for one of Ipswich town centre's largest retail units, following BHS's closure in 2016, and is the latest development in Ipswich's town centre resurgence.

New signage now adorns the front of the new Sports Direct store
New signage now adorns the front of the new Sports Direct storeOliver Rouane-WilliamsIpswich.co.uk

The big picture: Four major retail brands will share the space:

  • Sports Direct and USC will occupy the ground floor, with USC having its own entrance

  • GAME and Evans Cycles will join Sports Direct on the first floor

Behind the scenes:

  • Work began in July and has been ongoing for four months

  • The sports chain has been operating temporarily from the old H&M building since its Carr Street store closed

  • Flannels, another Frasers Group brand, opened next door on October 31

New Sports Direct sign at the rear of the new Fraser Group building in Ipswich
Signage has also gone up at the rear of the complexOliver Rouane-WilliamsIpswich.co.uk

What they're saying: A Frasers Group spokesperson said the store "will provide customers with access to the world's best sports and lifestyle brands."

The bottom line: The opening represents a significant investment in Ipswich town centre by Frasers Group, which acquired the building in 2020 with plans to bring multiple brands to the location.

Attwells staff outside their Ipswich office

An award-winning local law firm

Rated as "Excellent" on Review Solicitors with an impressive 4.8/5 on Feefo.

Attwells staff outside their Ipswich office

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Farage more trusted than Starmer in East of England, latest poll finds

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Reform UK leader Nigel Farage is more trusted to represent the UK internationally than PM Keir Starmer among East of England voters, new polling reveals.

Why it matters: The findings highlight a significant decline in trust for the main party leaders in the region less than a year after the general election.

The poll, conducted by communications agency PLMR and Electoral Calculus, shows Farage ranked highest among named leaders at 19% in the East of England, ahead of Sir Keir Starmer (13%), Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch (6%) and Liberal Democrat Leader Sir Ed Davey (5%).

Nigel Farage
Nigel FarageAlamy

The bigger picture: One in three voters (33%) in the region responded "none of the above" when asked which political figure they would trust most, suggesting a broader decline in overall trust in UK political leaders.

By the numbers: The same poll indicates Reform UK would become the largest party in the region if an election were held tomorrow:

  • Reform: 21 seats

  • Conservatives: 10 seats

  • Labour: 4 seats

  • Liberal Democrats: 2 seats

  • Greens: 1 seat

In contrast: Nationally, Farage and Starmer are tied at 16% among those who named a preference, highlighting a more polarised national picture, with the Reform UK leader building more trust with voters in the East of England specifically.

What they're saying: "This polling highlights a significant decline in trust for the two main party leaders among East of England voters when it comes to representing the UK on the international stage," said Tim Miller , Managing Director of PLMR Genesis , the East of England branch of PLMR.

Reform and Nigel Farage have seemingly been able to capitalise on this and it's now translating into voting intentions, with the Party set to overtake Labour and the Conservatives in the region with the largest number of seats – a seismic political shift.

Between the lines: The poll suggests Reform would make strong gains across the region, potentially taking seats from both major parties:

  • Suffolk: Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket from Labour

  • Essex: Braintree from the Conservatives and Thurrock from Labour

  • Cambridgeshire: North East from the Conservatives and North West from Labour

  • Norfolk: North West from the Conservatives and South West from Labour

Tim Miller on a backdrop of Ipswich from above and political party colour overlays
Tim Miller of PLMR GenesisOliver Rouane-WilliamsIpswich.co.uk

The national outlook: The survey of 5,180 adults showed Reform securing 25% of the vote share nationally, compared to 23% each for Labour and the Conservatives. This would translate to 227 seats for Reform, 180 for Labour and 130 for the Conservatives.

The bottom line: "If Labour wants to keep Reform at bay, hold onto the gains they made in the East of England and remain in government in four year's time, the Party needs to focus on getting their message across more clearly to voters and instil confidence in their domestic agenda," Miller concluded.

Attwells staff outside their Ipswich office

An award-winning local law firm

Rated as "Excellent" on Review Solicitors with an impressive 4.8/5 on Feefo.

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