Historic Ipswich building returns to its roots as a museum

The former Arlingtons building, that once housed Ipswich's original museum, has been brought back to life as MOTE – the Museum of the Environment.

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Meet the new boss – 'remarkably like the old boss'

'The Insider' has spent years inside Suffolk's corridors of power. Anonymous by necessity, unsparing by choice. In his first piece, he opines about the first 100-ish days of the Reform administration at Suffolk County Council.

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Burnham doubles down on Starmer's vape and betting shop crackdown

New vape shops will need planning permission for the first time under proposals announced by new Prime Minister Andy Burnham, as the government doubles down on plans to hand councils more power over what opens on the high street.

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University donates 120 items to Ipswich schools

More than 120 items of furniture no longer needed by the University of Suffolk have been donated to three Ipswich schools, saving them from waste.

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Two men arrested in Ipswich town centre on drug charges

A man riding an illegal e-bike and a second man who tried to flee were both arrested on suspicion of drug supply as Ipswich's Town Centre Team carried out weekend patrols.

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Eight e-bikes and e-scooters seized in police crackdown

Ipswich police seized three e-scooters and five e-bikes over the weekend as officers continued routine checks on illegal vehicles in the town centre.

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Council's 'exciting' £875k creative hub stuck at square one three years on

Ipswich Borough Council was awarded £875,000 in September 2023 to deliver a creative hub – leader Neil MacDonald called it an "exciting initiative." Three years on, the council got as far as agreeing heads of terms with a tenant – but no lease was ever signed, and no plan has replaced it.

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Ipswich submits City of Culture 2029 bid

Ipswich has formally submitted its bid to become UK City of Culture 2029 to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), backed by more than 100 businesses and community champions, and a new tranche of Ambassadors.

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Council set to keep subsidised bus routes until 2030

Ipswich Borough Council's executive will decide on Tuesday, 11 August, whether to continue funding a range of subsidised evening, Sunday and bank holiday bus services for three more years.

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Leif Davis and Colette Cavanagh named Ipswich Town Foundation trustees

Ipswich Town has appointed first-team players Leif Davis and Colette Cavanagh as trustees of the Ipswich Town Foundation, joining a Board chaired by Town Chairman Mark Ashton.

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Town's pre-season win over Rayo Vallecano has fans daring to dream

A dominant display against Rayo Vallecano, two more new faces, and an emotional farewell to a fans' favourite – Barbara Norrey has the latest from Portman Road.

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Tacket Street car park flips back to Q-Park – again

Tacket Street car park has switched back to Q-Park on Friday, 7 August, days after it briefly reverted to NCP, with the Q-Park app now back in use.

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Ipswich Hospital to get dedicated mental health crisis support

People experiencing a mental health crisis in Ipswich will be able to access specialist emergency support at Woodlands Unit, rather than waiting in a busy A&E department, under new government plans announced on Thursday, 6 August 2026.

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Suffolk County Council watchdog marks own homework, then decides it can wait

Suffolk County Council's monitoring officer found two breaches of law in a process he was part of. He then decided for himself how serious they were, and that the consequences could wait. A leaked report confirms the breaches, but does nothing to explain the delay.

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Council reveals 'exciting' £5m plan to revive 'proper landmark' Paul's Silo

Ipswich Borough Council has appointed a development partner to draw up plans for the western gateway to the waterfront, covering Paul's Silo, the former Burtons building and St Peter's Dock car park.

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Man who murdered friend in College Street attack jailed for at least 18 years

Arvydas Maliusis has been sentenced to life imprisonment, with a minimum term of 18 years, after being found guilty of murdering Ilja Akatjevas at a property in College Street last December.

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Is Suffolk County Council stalling its own watchdog to save its court fight over local government reorganisation?

A Section 5A report is one of the most serious sanctions available in English local government – and one is heading Suffolk County Council's way. Rather than being issued at pace, as convention demands, it appears set to wait until the council's October cabinet meeting. We ask why.

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Fire sale fears as Suffolk County Council's leader says he has 'no interest in handing down anything to the new unitaries'

Suffolk County Council's Reform UK leader, Michael Hadwen, is exploring selling off the council's wholly owned companies before power is handed to three new unitary authorities, a recording of a private meeting has revealed, sparking outrage from opposition leaders.

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101 new homes proposed across two Ipswich sites

Ipswich Borough Council's Executive is being asked to approve the next stage of two proposed housing developments that could deliver more than 100 new affordable homes in the town.

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City of culture or not, culture is at the heart of our regeneration story

Lee Walker, Ipswich Central CEO and the person who first proposed the funding model behind Ipswich's culture strategy, responds to our earlier feature, arguing the real question is whether Ipswich believes culture can drive its economy, with or without the City of Culture title.

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Council rejects challenges over decision to take Government to court over reorganisation

Suffolk County Council has rejected four opposition challenges to how it decided to pursue legal action against the Government over local government reorganisation (LGR), but has declined to publish its reasoning or comment further on the decision.

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Should businesses underwrite Ipswich's culture strategy even if it loses City of Culture?

Win or lose its bid to become the 2029 City of Culture, local businesses are being asked to fund a "city of culture" regardless. Can the council convince a cash-strapped private sector to look beyond its past performance and fund its ten-year culture strategy?

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Gazal's: From basement salon to Upper Brook Street

Mrs Singh arrived in England 15 years ago, and built more than a beauty salon in a small unit in the Buttermarket – she built a found family. Now, alongside her daughter Santghai, she has stepped into the light on Upper Brook Street, carrying the same vigor with her.

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2.8m people in the East have registered as organ donors – have you?

The NHS is urging people across the East of England to register their decision to donate organs and discuss their wishes with family, after new figures showed family consent for donation has fallen sharply over the past five years.

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Fancy leading a walk? Suffolk scheme needs volunteers

Feel Good Suffolk is appealing for new volunteer walk leaders to run wellbeing walks in and around Ipswich, as part of a county-wide scheme that already sees more than 1,000 people take part every month.

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'A serious mess': Tacket Street and Tower Ramparts revert back to NCP

Both Tacket Street and Tower Ramparts car parks have reverted back to NCP, days after the sites changed hands to new operator Q-Park, with one NCP attendant describing the situation as "a serious mess".

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Ipswich law firm Ellisons names mental health charity partners

Ipswich law firm Ellisons has launched a year-long partnership with Suffolk Mind and Mid and North East Essex Mind, with colleagues set to fundraise, volunteer and raise awareness for mental health.

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Suffolk 'stands no chance' without devolution deal

Following last Thursday's announcement that mayors will be handed a share of income tax and business rates revenue, Suffolk's Chamber of Commerce and mayoral candidates have urged the government to press ahead with devolution for Suffolk and Norfolk.

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Pressure mounts on East Suffolk Council leader to resign over 'neglectful' recycling 'fiasco'

Calls are growing for Caroline Topping, the Green leader of East Suffolk Council, to resign over the troubled Better Recycling rollout, as questions are raised (and answered) over whether better performance figures reflect a genuine improvement or a change in how they are counted.

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Historic WWII boat's Ipswich cruise business for sale

The Allen Gardiner, a restored Second World War rescue launch operating as a river cruise and dining business from Fox's Marina, has been listed for sale for £150,000 as its owner prepares to retire.

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