A town is being urged to "seize the moment" and bid for millions of pounds of funding to help regenerate a rundown area of the town centre.
James Cartlidge, MP for South Suffolk and Adrian Stohr, deputy mayor for Sudbury, are urging Sudbury residents to take advantage of funding which could help with the redevelopment of the town's derelict Hamilton Road Quarter.
For years, the site has been earmarked for revitalisation to provide shopping, leisure and other commercial uses, but progress has stalled on the need to find money to move and upgrade the town's bus station, which needs improvements.
However, in December, Suffolk County Council was allocated more than £26 million of Government funding under the Local Authority Bus Grant (LABG) to enable the continuation and expansion of new and improved bus services.
And both Mr Cartlidge and Mr Stohr are urging the town to take advantage of this funding to deliver the relocation of the bus station, which could unlock private investment for the town.
The MP said this private funding was hard to deliver while the shopping precinct was next to a working bus station.
He added: “Sudbury is a lovely town but faces the kinds of challenges to the health of its high street that are familiar up and down the country.
"At the same time, our economy is struggling and vacancies are drying up, which is extremely worrying – particularly for young people starting out in life.
"In my view, the best way to restore local economic strength would be to deliver an ambitious regeneration of Sudbury’s town centre.
“Of course, much has been said about restoring our town over the years, with many steering groups and plans being assembled and drawn up.
"But there has been very little progress and the sticking point has always been – a lack of funding to move the bus station, and in a way that continues to deliver an effective bus service for the town.
"We now have that opportunity, with £26m of public funding to bid into.
"This is funding that has to be spent on bus services in Suffolk and, in my view, whoever forms the new council administration should prioritise those bids with the strongest economic return, as would be the case in Sudbury.”
Mr Stohr said: "Sudbury is a proud and historic market town, rich in character, community spirit, and potential.
"Yet we must be honest: for too long, progress on regeneration has stalled, and the status quo is no longer serving our residents, our businesses, or our young people.
"If we are serious about securing a thriving future, we must be bold, decisive, and united in our ambition.
"The availability of significant funding to improve our transport infrastructure particularly our bus station and wider bus services offers a powerful catalyst for change.
"Connectivity is the lifeblood of any successful town.
"By investing in a modern, accessible, and well-located bus station, alongside improved bus stops, we can make Sudbury more welcoming, more accessible, and more economically vibrant.
"This is not just about transport it is about unlocking opportunity.
"A revitalised transport hub can help attract visitors, support local businesses, encourage investment, and create jobs.
"It can breathe new life into our town centre and help realise the long-discussed regeneration of key sites such as the Hamilton Road Quarter."
Published by the Sudbury Mercury.
