St Lawrence's Church funding gets go ahead

3.22.23pm GMT Fri 2nd Mar 2007

2 years after Labour planned the shutting of the Age Concern drop-in centre by closing the town hall, the work of Cllr Richard Atkins on the Haven Gateway Partnership (covering private companies and local authorities in Felixstowe, Harwich, Colchester and Ipswich) has paid off.

Ipswich - and the Haven Gateway area - has achieved "growth point status" and has received funding towards the regeneration of Ipswich, specifically some £700,000 to do up this historic church in the town centre of Ipswich. The LibDem and Tory joint administration had previously set aside £400,000 towards this, and now has the balance required to turn the church into a centre for the whole community right in the heart of the town.

"This is superb news" said Richard "not just for the community and the church, but also to see other infrastructure money coming into Ipswich, as one of the fastest growing towns in the country. I would like to congratulate the Borough's officers who have worked hard to help achieve this win for Ipswich."