Ipswich Town: Seven left-backs who could cover Leif Davis
Ipswich Town may be looking for a left-back this summer – but not to start. Leif Davis is the clear first-choice in that position, but the Blues are lacking a like-for-like replacement if he’s ever unavailable.
Brandon Williams
Starting off with a free agent who spent last season at Ipswich, Brandon Williams is looking for a new club after being released by Manchester United.
There’s a lot to like about the prospect of bringing him back. He’s played in the Premier League for the Red Devils and for Norwich City while also showing his quality for Town in the early stages of his stint in Suffolk. He’s versatile, so could also cover at right-back if required, and obviously knows Kieran McKenna well.
There are obvious off-field concerns that would need to be ironed out quickly, but this would likely be Williams’ only shot at staying in the Premier League and if he wants to prove that he’s capable of playing at this level, the Blues wouldn’t be risking much by signing him on a free transfer.
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Ipswich council leader Neil MacDonald on Towns Fund money
The first meeting of the Ipswich Borough Council (IBC) Executive since March – two sets of elections got in the way – had a long discussion on Towns Fund projects.
The Public Realm and Greening project comprises a range of measures that will ‘green’ Ipswich town centre and the route to the Waterfront as well as improving the public realm in and around Lloyds Avenue. Public realm is a term used to identify the urban spaces that are publicly accessible.
It covers all parts of the built environment that the public has free access to. These spaces are essential for people to socialise, play, work, exercise and engage in diverse communal activities.
The main aims of the project are to provide a green space right beside the heart of the town centre to encourage visitors and increase footfall.
On the eastern side of Lloyds Avenue there will be wider pavements on one side with seating to encourage people to linger and to enable local businesses to offer food and drink.
There has been consultation with local businesses and the taxi trade has been consulted a number of times.
Understandably, they are unhappy to lose any taxi waiting spaces. However, there is a need to strike a balance between improving the area through pedestrianisation and quality urban design and the operational needs of the businesses and taxi trade. There will still be space for 10 taxis and IBC will be consulting on another proposed rank in central Ipswich.
The Greener Ipswich project aims to broaden biodiversity and green areas within the town centre via a connected trail through the town including Lloyds Avenue, Princes Street, Queen Street and St Nicholas Street to the Waterfront.
The former R & W Paul silo on St Peters Dock is a 55 metre (180 feet) high derelict reinforced concrete structure that dominates the main entrance to the Waterfront area from Stoke Bridge.
It is a complex industrial structure constructed in the 1960s for storing and handling malt. The major complication is that most of the building interior is occupied by individual silos cast into the building structure.
IBC have had discussions involving 34 different operators to develop the Silo as a leisure attraction. Unfortunately, it appears that this is impossible. It has been recommended to the Ipswich Towns Deal Board that the Silo project be closed as there are no operators with an interest in the property.
It is also recommended that the unspent money be reallocated to the other Towns Deal projects, which needs to be agreed by the Government.
Note that the terms of the Towns Deal make it impossible to spend the money on another Silo project, as the Towns Deal was specifically for a Silo leisure development.
It is a complex industrial structure constructed in the 1960s for storing and handling malt. The major complication is that most of the building interior is occupied by individual silos cast into the building structure.
IBC have had discussions involving 34 different operators to develop the Silo as a leisure attraction. Unfortunately, it appears that this is impossible. It has been recommended to the Ipswich Towns Deal Board that the Silo project be closed as there are no operators with an interest in the property.
It is also recommended that the unspent money be reallocated to the other Towns Deal projects, which needs to be agreed by the Government.
Note that the terms of the Towns Deal make it impossible to spend the money on another Silo project, as the Towns Deal was specifically for a Silo leisure development.
