Seafront business owners met with officers from East Suffolk Council and the Architect preparing a scheme for the redevelopment of the south seafront gardens.

The on-line event, organised by the BID, gave all sides the opportunity to have input on ideas from the remodelling of the gardens to promenade lighting, parking and ideas to make the front ‘instagram-able’.

Work will now continue to firm up a set of proposals before funding and planning permissions are sought.

Plans for a ferris wheel on part of the land have been resubmitted to the council for consideration.

Meanwhile the new cafe in the adjacent Martello Park is being fitted out ready for opening later this spring.

The BID is also involved in discussions about how best to use the former trim trail site between the promenade and Sea Road now that work on the proposed beach hut village will not commence until September.

Suggestions for the site were put on the Visit Felixstowe Facebook page and attracted a good response from people wanting to see everything from a BMX course to a performance stage, rock climbing wall and a roller skating rink, whilst the return of the traditional carousel was also popular.

We look forward to the final decision.

Tourism Strategy and Events Masterclass

Our BID was invited to join two informative online events. The first was a workshop to discuss a tourism strategy for the whole of East Suffolk. It which sought opinion from across the district on how best to manage tourism and to make sure we are aligned and able to benefit from investment in local infrastructure. The second brought together interested parties to discuss how events can boost business and create community cohesion in Felixstowe. It was hosted by Wayne Hemmingway who has been involved in the First Light festival in Lowestoft.