Ipswich Central, the company running the Business Improvement District in Ipswich, in conjunction with Suffolk County Council’s suffolkonboard.com is strengthening the successful role of the Street Rangers in the town centre. On Mondays through to Fridays from 12.30 to 1.30pm the red-dressed Rangers will be based on the Cornhill to listen to anyone who has a question to ask or a point to make. The daily “Ranger Surgery” will provide another means of communication for visitors, businesses and customers in Ipswich.

Ipswich Central’s Paul Clement has already seen the surgeries working successfully. He elaborated: “We have been overwhelmed by the effectiveness of the Street Rangers in providing useful information and guidance to a whole mass of different enquiries. They are the most visible confirmation of our £3.2million campaign to make the town centre more attractive to businesses, staff, shoppers and visitors. We have always called them the “eyes and ears” of the project and the new daily surgery will provide a rigid platform for enquiry.”

One of the Street Rangers commented “We have recently introduced the surgery idea to see whether it would be popular. I’m delighted to say that it has proved to be a big success and means we are engaging with customers and businesses even more than before.”

Other successful projects run by the BID Company include free park and ride and car parking, a state of the art radio link system, enhanced cleaning, improved customer safety, crime reduction and a new marketing campaign.