Town Development Programme

East Suffolk Council’s Town Development Programme (TDP) has been delivering projects designed to help stimulate town centre economies across the district since 2019. Working with local stakeholders, the programme aims to ensure all our towns can be economically vibrant and achieve long term sustainability for the local community, businesses and visitors alike.

The first stage was a research piece undertaken by People and Places in 2019 surveying town centre users and businesses. This looked at current and future opportunities and issues and provided an action plan for each town to prioritise next steps.

A grant programme was then created with £10,000 for each town to support activity linked to their action plan. This was run alongside support measures for recovery and resilience both during and following the Covid-19 pandemic.

In 2022 the Town Development Team was created with dedicated staff and a budget, to include a small grants scheme. To accompany this a programme of projects were developed within the UKSPF Investment Plan and a grant scheme developed with projects and funding applications supported  under the themes of High Street Improvement and Events.

In October 2024, funding was secured for a further three years of the TDP, enabling continued support for the economic vitality and sustainability of our town centres. This followed a review which included surveys of town centre users, businesses and local stakeholders, as well as an assessment of existing town action plans and priorities.

The programme has delivered, and will continue to deliver, a diverse package of projects and activities, all designed to ensure the long-term economic viability of East Suffolk’s towns. Some of the programme’s key themes and example projects are outlined below: