Masterplan for Leiston
Article by Russ Rainger, Trustee, The Long Shop Museum
Like so many new residents I first came to Suffolk as a holidaymaker. Later I was lucky enough to move here with work. Steam energy has been at the core of Leiston since the 1770’s and my work was at Sizewell A nuclear power station is another example of how Leiston has been using steam energy to produce power.
“Leiston has a proud industrial heritage and has provided employment to many generations of families, through the Garrett works, local businesses and nuclear via Sizewell A and B power stations.”
The development of Sizewell C represents a continuation of that employment opportunity. That said, it is essential that large industrial development is completed in a sympathetic and sensitive way. Leiston is also part of the heritage coast, with acres of the Suffolk Coast and Heaths National Landscape (formerly the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty) within the parish boundary. The Parish enjoys a beautiful coastline to the east, with a beach line scattered with local fishing boats. The area is criss-crossed by a marvellous network of footpaths and bridal ways making the coastline and countryside accessible to the town. Leiston is situated in the middle of some of the best natural habitats in the country.
In 1778, Leiston was a rural development with a population of around 800 located close to the fishing village of Sizewell in a rural agricultural landscape. A young Richard Garrett moved to Leiston and joined a forge that through three generations grew to a massive site expanding during the Industrial Revolution and becoming a sponsor of the 1851 Great Exhibition, resulting in the construction of the Long Shop, the world’s first purpose-built flowline manufacturing building. Now a museum telling the story of the remarkable families that achieved so much. As if being a sponsor at the Great Exhibition was not enough, the site boasts the deepest well in Suffolk and was the closest munitions factory to Germany in both world wars.
Richard’s brother, Newson Garrett built Snape Maltings, now recognised as a world-class music venue. Newson’s daughters challenged the barriers for women in the 1800’s. Elizabeth Garrett Anderson became the first woman to practise medicine in Britain and Millicent Fawcett campaigned for women’s right to vote, later recognised as Dame Millicent Fawcett she is the first woman to have a statue in Parliament Square.
Leiston, has so much going for it. Unlike nearby towns, it retains a post office service, plus a beach and green spaces; a leisure centre; good schools; an ancient Abbey; a museum; a football team; a library; and a cinema (the oldest independent film theatre in Suffolk) and a range of independent shops. Things that many larger towns welcome, all on our doorstep and so much more in just a few miles. It is certainly a great place to live and work, with good amenities. But unfortunately, its local shops need more trade, its cafés and restaurants need more visitors, and its community needs a green town centre that provides a greater sense of belonging, cohesion, and pride.
However, the Community Land Trust along with the Town Council feel the town has the scope to offer more. The Land Trust has regenerated a neglected garden into an accessible public space with benches and a bandstand. The Land Trust have designs on bigger patches of land and would like to develop an ‘urban plan’ providing a natural continuity between the Waterloo Centre in the west to the Community Centre in the east. A pedestrian-friendly route that is a vibrant High Street with a variety of retail outlets mixed with on the High Street services such as coffee shops, hairdressers and social space. The Town Council have design proposals for a modified traffic flow through key areas of the town. This will provide the opportunity for wider footpaths and easy access via walking and cycling. This in turn will reduce traffic and congestion and encourage green options leading to cleaner air and helping the environment.
Within the Urban Plan is a vision of three key focal points, the recently completed Church Square; the proposed new multi-functional Market Square, a mix of modern Civic services and affordable housing; and a Heritage Quarter centred around the Long Shop Museum and focusing on the historical origins of the town.
As a Trustee of the Land Trust, I hope with the second area, Market Square we can create a well-planned and designed, sustainable and economically vibrant town centre to meet the current and future needs of Leiston and its people. Leiston has been a Market Town for 700 years it would be nice to see an open space available for markets, concerts, displays etc. Central to it all is an accessible community space that will contain a modern library, Town Council offices, public advice centres plus flexible retail or craft space suitable for both established and start-up companies or individuals. Integrated with a mixture of affordable homes for shared ownership or rent to Local people, a support scheme for first-time homeowners or elderly people wishing to downsize, alongside new retail space to create an attractive and vibrant accompaniment to the historic amenities.
The third area is a new public realm in front of the Long Shop Museum focusing on the heritage and tourism opportunities a showcase for the town’s rich industrial history telling the Leiston story and a focal point for tourism. With the former Town Council Offices vacated to the market square, there is an opportunity for the building to be developed into a town museum including a café facility with outside seating creating a new public space. This will complement the existing Long Shop Museum offer adjacent. Gentle landscaping will transform this area into an additional public meeting space. The proposals include heritage specialists, artists, sculptors, landscape designers and local businesses to develop the space in a sympathetic, holistic and complimentary way. This piazza-like area will support the aspiration of the Leiston Works Railway, offering a showcase for the section of the railway line that is being restored. Having an operational railway line will give the heritage quarter a unique attraction for visitors to the town.
’ve touched on it earlier, Leiston has a remarkable history of innovation and entrepreneurial vision. Here in the present is no different. Along with the urban plan designs of the Community Land Trust and the town council proposals for a revised traffic scheme, Leiston is leading the way to becoming a sustainable environmental town. Thanks to a project team sponsored by Sizewell C and EDF, Leiston has developed an extensive Route Map, detailing a way to transform Leiston into a modern Net Zero town. With everyone struggling with the cost-of-living challenges and headline-grabbing issues around global warming and climate change, we are all too aware of the need to reduce waste and reduce our impact on our environment. The Net Zero Leiston vision is a bold one, finding ways to optimise the capabilities of existing older properties through insulation and energy consumption modifications. While encouraging and promoting the use of state-of-the-art schemes for new developments and alterations. This combined with public awareness of lifestyle changes offers the prospect of embedding environmental and climate change friendly living into Leiston, offering a green and sustainable home and workplace.
“The development of Sizewell C represents a new era of energy from steam and an investment that may open other investment opportunities.”
With vision and drive Leiston has the potential to become a modern visitor destination while retaining its industrial charm and character for the residents. I look forward to Leiston growing ready for the next 100 years.