Partners join forces on town centre walks for Pride in Ipswich

Partners across Ipswich are coming together for regular walks through the town centre to identify issues and take swift action to keep the area clean, safe and welcoming. 
 
Since September 2025, representatives from Ipswich Borough Council, Suffolk County Council, Suffolk Constabulary and Ipswich Central have been carrying out a monthly walk through the town centre. The purpose of the walk is simple: to get out on the streets together, identify issues first-hand and ensure they are dealt with quickly. 
 
The walks bring together representatives from each organisation to review the town centre environment, discuss areas for improvement and agree practical actions that can be quickly implemented or monitored. 
 
In the past six months this collaborative approach has already delivered visible improvements, including the installation of new litter bins, improvements to the information boards in Tower Street, and new Public Space Protection Order signs to deter street drinking. 
 
News of this local initiative is being shared on a day that the Great British Spring Clean, an annual event organised by Keep Britain Tidy takes place (13 to 29 March 2026). This national campaign encourages communities across the country to take pride in their local areas and help tackle litter too. 
 
Lee Walker, CEO of Ipswich Central, says a partnership approach is proactive and that working together will mean a better town centre environment for all. 
 
“The ‘Pride of Anglia’ chant is something everyone associated with Ipswich Town knows well. It’s heard around Portman Road before every home match. But the pride people feel inside the stadium should also extend to the town centre streets outside it,” he says. 
 
“These monthly walks are about getting key organisations responsible for the town centre out together, seeing issues and making sure things are dealt with. It’s a practical, ‘can do’ approach that focuses on action. 
 
“Ipswich is statistically one of the safest towns for its population size in the UK. The council consistently meets its street cleaning obligations and vacancy rates in the core town centre are lower than many places across the country. But just like football, town centres are judged on what people see and feel when they visit. That means standards matter. These walks help to ensure that when issues are spotted, the right people can resolve them.” 
 
Examples of improvements identified so far include new signage in Tower Street, additional litter bins around Ipswich Minster, businesses improving their shopfront presentation, graffiti removal and the repositioning of planters to improve CCTV sightlines outside the former Great White Horse Hotel. 
 
Lee Walker added: “My ambition is for Ipswich to be recognised as one of the cleanest towns in the country. That requires consistency, collaboration and civic pride. These walks are a simple but effective way of making sure we stay focused on that goal.” 
 
Councillor Paul West, Suffolk County Council Cabinet Member for Ipswich, said: “Ipswich is a fantastic place, with so much to offer and somewhere I am proud to call home. 
 
“These walks are an excellent way for people like me, and other agencies, to get down to street-level and identify where there may be issues and what can be done to resolve them for the benefit of residents and businesses.” 

Read more about the Great British Spring Clean by Keep Britain Tidy here: www.keepbritaintidy.org/our-work/eliminating-litter/great-british-spring-clean

Did you Know… If your school or community group wishes to carry out a community litter pick in Ipswich, you can request bags and litter pickers here: www.ipswichloveyourstreet.co.uk