New Westgate Centre plans keep public at heart.

12.51.57pm GMT Thu 18th Dec 2008

The Westgate Centre will be built on the former Civic Centre site

Ipswich Borough Council has approved the £50m redevelopment of the former Civic Centre site as the 'Westgate Centre'.

The public will be at the heart of the approved Westgate Centre with a public amphitheatre surrounded by new shopping and leisure opportunities.

The developers, Turnstone, are to build a mix of leisure, retail and office accommodation on the site. The spiral car park will remain, a restaurant will be built and the New Wolsey Theatre will get brand new state-of-the-art rehearsal space as part of the plans. In addition the development will also provide 11 new homes and improve access through to the Town Centre.

Turnstone have yet to announce which High Street name will be the anchor store for the 15,000 square metre shopping space within the Westgate Centre.

At a time of concern over the economy the Westgate Centre will provide many new jobs on site during and after construction and bolster the offer that Ipswich Town Centre provides, drawing in more customers from out of the town and helping to secure jobs in Ipswich.