Planning Applications & Results

John Lewis at Home on Cranes site. It was granted permission but there are a number of tight conditions on trading. Pharmacy, post office, opticians, takeaway food outlets, banks and building societies are not permitted. The goods sold and displayed shall not include clothing, footwear, jewellery and watches. Beauty and toiletry items may not be displayed and sold in more than 75 sq m of the floor space. [Editor: i.e. it's not intended to be a department store.] £750,000 is to be spent on non-A14 traffic remediation, but nothing to ameliorate Junction 57 of the A14. Public art to include reference to previous industrial use.

Yarmouth Road/London Road. Marston's will build a Road House - for more food than drink. Despite objections from the Waterfront Group and the Society as to design and the importance of having an impressive building at the main western entrance to the town, and the total lack of use of the proximity to the canal, the Planning Committee were only concerned with exit and entrance into the traffic, particularly by drays. The concern was not to interfere with a commercial application for an undeveloped site. An opportunity missed!

19 St Margaret's Green. A retrospective application to demolish Kwikfit buildings has been postponed twice for legal considerations. The buildings had not been declared unsafe but the permission for demolition and new student accommodation expired in April 2010. The Planning Committee agreed to the retrospective application because they can't enforce a rebuild, they can't enforce a build and the maximum fine is £1000. The Society supports the concept of keeping it as an improved green space to improve the townscape and to allow the air quality to improve. But there are many financial, legal and practical difficulties on the road to completion. The Society will object strongly to its proposed use for hand car wash.

Derby Road Station. Re-application for a 45 bed care home. The previous application was withdrawn because of local objections. The trees and sleeper embankment to be retained to Stanley Avenue. Better noise attenuation. [Don't forget care homes are one of the best sources of employment for the unskilled.]

Ipswich School, Music Centre. The modified second application has been approved by mc, subject to acoustic tests. A transport plan and an event management plan are to be presented. All events including practice to finish by 9.30 pm.

The People's Hall, Stoke Street. An application to build 4 flats behind the wall separating the Hall from the next building to the east has been granted with no changes to the roof.

Telecommunications mast, Stoke Drive. 117 objections to a slim 12.5m pole on a street corner. Dangerous radiation to a school 50m away. No thought given to mobile internet connections - important economically. We need a proper policy, not ad hoc decisions.

Golden Key, Woodbridge Road. Revised and improved plans to convert to a 400 sq m food store. Widely presumed to be Tesco's.

Mike Cook