Digital portal a 'bold step', says Ipswich Borough Council leader, Neil MacDonald following planning go-ahead

A digital portal connecting a town to the world is a 'bold step', a council leader has said following planning go-ahead.

Ipswich councillors decided yesterday morning to grant planning permission for a digital portal to be built in front of the archway leading to Lloyds Avenue, in the Cornhill.

The structure will allow for a live connection between the town and other international locations, mimicking those already in place in Dublin, Philadelphia, and Lublin, Poland.

Cllr Neil MacDonald, the authority's leader, said he believed it would attract residents and visitors into the town centre, promoting Ipswich as a great place to live, work, visit, and invest in.

In Dublin, as many as one million people visited the area within six months of its installation.

Cllr MacDonald said: “We’re delighted with this opportunity to showcase our ambition for Ipswich as a pioneering digital town, and proud to be the first place in the UK with a Portal that brings live connection to global communities.

"It signifies a bold step in our town’s strategy to rejuvenate the town centre, attract new visitors, support local businesses, and promote Ipswich as a place of culture, connectivity, and global relevance."

The portal is part of a £2.34 million Government funding package, the Towns Deal, meant to modernise the town centre with interactive, vibrant, and inclusive experiences.

Other plans to benefit from the funding include a series of augmented reality trails, digital billboards and contemporary, high-tech art installations.

Benediktas Gylys, founder of Portals, the company behind the digital structure, said: “It’s an honour to welcome the historic city of Ipswich into the Portals Network, where a new sculpture invites the world to meet, remember, and dream forward together.”

The council said work is scheduled to start in September, with the launch planned for October.