No decision on Arras Square revamp due to police concerns

At the beginning of this year, plans were submitted to revamp Arras Square and St Stephen's Lane, the area outside Buttermarket Shopping Centre. 

The £900,000 redevelopment would include new seating, paving, drainage, lighting, CCTV, litter bins and trees, as well as a new mural. 

The residents were asked to help choose the design for the engravings on the development.

Designs for the engravings on the Arras Square, IBC/Newsquest (Image: IBC/Newsquest)

Suffolk Constabulary recently raised concerns that tombstones located at the square may be used for sexual activity and drug-taking, requesting to put railings around them. 

The plans were put before Ipswich Borough Council's planning and development committee on Wednesday, who deferred making a decision in order to look at the request. 

Police have requested railings around raised tombstones in Ipswich to stop people from using them for sex and drug-taking. (Image: Ben Robinson, Newsquest)

In a report to the committee, police said the Arras Square area has typically experienced high levels of crime, with frequent anti-social behaviour, assaults, thefts and drug-taking recorded over the past five years. 

Alongside installing railings to prevent the desecration of tombstones, Suffolk Constabulary also suggested reducing the available seating, installing CCTV to cover the whole site, and gating the area out of hours. 

An artist's impression of Arras Square, Ipswich Borough Council/Erect Architecture (Image: Ipswich Borough Council/Erect Architecture)

The decision should be made during the next Ipswich Borough Council’s planning and development committee meeting.