 |
| Market Square, Lavenham |
Should we be promoting more tourism in South Suffolk?
Many of us regard this as an obvious way ahead in order to
improve the prosperity of the area and encourage more of our young people to
stay here. We welcome exciting projects
such as the Wool Towns initiative which aims to promote the attractions of ancient towns and
villages such as Lavenham, Long Melford and Clare, that benefitted from the
wealth of the wool trade in times gone by.
However, it has been brought home to me recently that this is not a
universally accepted view.
 |
| View of Clare |
The opposition to a new, mid-priced hotel close to Belle Vue
Park in Sudbury reflects a reluctance to bring the town’s accommodation offer
into the 21st century, as does the opposition being experienced by
an owner of a successful local top of the range guest house who wishes to
expand. The suggestion that South
Suffolk should become ‘another Cotswolds’ has also been met with derision in
some quarters
The truth is however if we want the area to thrive, and
residents to continue to enjoy a good quality of life, implying a reasonable
choice of busy local shops, pubs and restaurants, expanding arts organisations and other facilities,
encouraging visitors is essential. Surely people would prefer to sustain a local
environment that is beautiful and vibrant? Surely Suffolk residents have higher
aspirations than the promotion of the sort of run of the mill development
appropriate to areas that are closer to dual carriageways and less blessed by
attractive countryside and an unrivalled built environment? As a community we need to play to our
strengths
If you live in the Cotswolds you soon learn that having a
local authority that considers that the needs of visitors are a priority has a
number of benefits. More care is taken
with the design and fabric of new development for example. and one does not see
many heavy goods vehicles knocking hell out of the buildings in Broadway or
Chipping Campden.
 |
| View of Chipping Campden |
Thank you Jenny. By raising the profile of the Wool Towns we aim to improve visitor management and secure their longer term preservation from traffic damage.
ReplyDeleteThank you Jenny. By raising the profile of the Wool Towns we aim to improve visitor management and secure their longer term preservation from traffic damage.
ReplyDelete