Felixstowe Seafront Spatial Plan (2024)

‘The spatial plan for Felixstowe Seafront is a great piece of work, it has really helped me to see things differently and think about connections, opportunities and possibilities as well as the inevitable constraints! It’s a really effective study into what Felixstowe is, how it works, the history etc, and the story of how we got here over time plus the many things we can do to improve the place in the future.'

Neil Cockshaw | Felixstowe Development Programme Manager | East Suffolk Council

East Suffolk Council (ESC) commissioned Group 19 to carry out a spatial and contextual analysis of Felixstowe Seafront to inform a strategic pathway for future improvements. This was achieved through site visits to experience and capture the physical, cultural, and historical context of Felixstowe through photographic studies and mapping. Further information was gathered and analysed through desktop research and multiple meetings with ESC to gain an in-depth understanding of Felixstowe, the constraints it faces and the opportunities that lie ahead.

The spatial plan creates a visual evidence base formed by analysis and research to help realise potential projects along the Seafront. A series of detailed maps depict the existing seafront with diagrammatic overlays and descriptions giving light to opportunities and potential projects. This is the first step towards an illustrative masterplan for the South Seafront that will make positive change through a series of intertwining and overlapping projects at various scales. 

Each project was considered against the targets set within the local plan and had been given initial prioritisation based on the effectiveness, complexity and cost. Group 19 are continuing to work with ESC to help turn potential projects into a reality.