'Shabby' town now has 'great potential', says peer

In 2012, Lord Stuart Rose said Ipswich's Cornhill was "a bit shabby"

The former chairman of Marks & Spencer and Asda who previously called a town centre "shabby" said it now had "great potential".

Lord Stuart Rose, who has lived in Suffolk for 25 years, previously made critical remarks of Ipswich's Cornhill back in 2012.

Speaking to BBC Radio Suffolk, he said the town was "great", but more needed to be done to incentivise shoppers back in.

It comes after the British Retail Consortium says footfall at UK shops was down 2.5% in the last three months of 2024 compared to the same period the year before.

"Retail has had a tough time," said Lord Rose, a Conservative peer.

"It all comes back to consumer confidence and we do not have much confidence in the UK at the moment.

"People are a bit nervous and they are worried about tomorrow, they're worried about what is going to happen with inflation, tax rises, etc.

"They're being thoughtful about what they spend and they're spending less."

Lord Rose added that we needed to be optimistic about retail and the High Street.

Lord Stuart Rose has lived in Suffolk since 1999

Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium, said a "drab December" capped a "disappointing year for UK retail footfall".

Overall the total UK footfall in 2024 was down 2.2% compared to 2023.

Lord Rose said in Ipswich's case it had not previously made itself a place shoppers wanted to visit.

He described the transport system, roads and cost of getting in as "difficult" for consumers, while large retailers and businesses had opted to move out of the town centre in favour for larger retail parks, such as Martlesham Heath to the east of the town.

"We need to find ways to incentivise people and change the big spaces into smaller spaces," he continued.

"The sad thing is why did the people with the big space move out in the first place?

"Is there some case that we can try and get them back in again? Or do we want to go around the ring road all the time and stop off at Martlesham here and somewhere else there?

"Ipswich is a great [town]; it has great potential."

Lord Rose added finally that he believed Ipswich town centre needed to be "repurposed" while making it easier for people "to do things".