Recent Planning Matters

98 Henley Road: On a large plot of land next to the entrance to the sports club, permission has been granted to build four detached houses with garages and car parking spaces and garden. Previously a single dwelling had been granted approval. Objectors include the sports club. Density is lower than the planning policy dictates and spacing is normal but not as generous as is the case in this area. lBC Officers' advice is to give consent; however the lBC Committee decided on a site visit and thus it is deferred.

Russet Road (GPO) Engineering Centre, Woodbridge Road) Outline planning permission has been granted for 39 houses at medium density (35% affordable). The Section 106 requirements are high (£250,000) because both St Helen's and Northgate Schools are full. Design issues will be considered when the Full planning permission application is made.

Hotel at former Pooley's Yard, opposite the railway station: Approval has been granted for a 5-storey, 105 room hotel. The details of materials used will have to be improved as a condition of the planning permission.

211 Rushmere Road: The application to demolish the house and replace with two houses of 'two and a half' storeys each was refused. There were many objectors. A fresh application has been made, reducing the heights to two storeys each. [Approved now by lBC]

15 The Avenue: The applicant wishes to demolish a Peter Barefoot house of the mid-1950s and replace it with two new higher houses. It is not in the Park Conservation Area and is not Locally Listed. (His own house nearby is Locally Listed.) We felt the house is of little architectural merit and thus there is no practical objection to demolition. However, the site is not big enough to take two five-bedroom detached houses. This is over-development and smaller less prominent houses are indicated. lBC has refused the application.

The Emperor, Norwich Road: Tesco has applied to build an extension in the rear garden to convert the inn into a Tesco Express store. No application is needed to convert it into such a store. The building is presumably Edwardian and the exterior largely unaltered. There is fine lettering of 'The Emperor' and 'Tolly Cobbold'. There would be eleven parking spaces, the access being directly on to a light-controlled crossing on a very busy and fast road. There is a small but active community objecting. I have sent a letter of objection from the Society. [But approved now by lBC, with conditions attached concerning deliveries, etc.]

47 St Nicholas Street, Curson Lodge: Permission granted for the insertion of a 'pod' to provide medical travel advice, vaccinations, etc. The pod would not touch any part of the historic structure. Unfortunately, on the morning of the proposed contract exchange, a car demolished the column by the doorway on the front corner of the building. Luckily, Hilary Brightman, in its extensive restoration by the Ipswich Building Preservation Trust, had redesigned it so that it no longer had structural significance.

The New Wolsey Theatre: The two new extensions, one small to accommodate a lift on the Civic Drive side and a much larger two-storey one on the east side to accommodate a much needed space for the technical area, were approved. The Twentieth Century Society and The Ipswich Society feel that this is Ipswich's most important 1970s building after Willis and thus any alterations must be done to the highest design standards. Whilst the Civic Drive extension is fine, we feel that the other extension has not been handled well, which is to be flat where it fails to marry successfully with the interesting roof slope angles of the original. We are sorry the Planning and Development Committee of lBC did not follow the advice of the Design Panel and seek a review of this design. [Architects of the Wolsey Theatre were Roderick Ham and George Finch who also designed the Derby Playhouse; sadly, Finch died on 13 February 2013 after a distinguished and varied career.]

Mike Cook