Planning matters

Eastway Business Park (off Sproughton Road). This application for 34 flats and 60 houses had problems with the Section 106 agreement for monies for education and affordable residences. All parties agreed that the original proposal was not viable. Ipswich councillors wished to reduce the educational precept and maintain the affordable housing content. Understandably Suffolk County Council were not pleased and asked for a Judicial Review. IBC's legal advice is that the original recommendations should be reconsidered at Committee where it was agreed. This highlights the current problems with Section 106 agreements.

West Villa, Woodbridge Road East. Two large GP practices, Woodbridge Road and Lattice Barn, currently have 25,000 patients and rising. Their premises were once houses and are no longer fit for the purpose and are looking for a new centre. The first Ipswich Workhouse was in Great Whip Street. In the 1880s it moved to the Woodbridge Road East site; gradually extended to become the Ipswich Borough General Hospital and during WWII was an emergency hospital with two ems wards with operating theatres (they lasted until 1986). In 1948 it became the Heath Road Wing of Ipswich Hospital. The West Villa remained in IBC ownership and became the Homeless Families Unit and latterly the Women's Refuge and is now vacant. The remaining buildings will be recorded and demolished. The proposal is well thought out for a modern, clean-lined two storey building for at least fifteen doctors, nurses, ancillary staff, a pharmacy and a treatment area and so on. More comment on the design next time but KLH (timber construction) have done a good job.

Redecoration of the Town Hall interior. The presence of leaks and the fact that no work has been done since 1970, together with IBC's intention to use the building more, means that redecoration is overdue. Paint research showed nineteen layers in places. It is thought the original 1868 scheme was inappropriate (brown walls) so a second layer of white walls with timber grained (oak) woodwork was applied.

Neptune Marina : Five more fingers proposed to be added on the western side of the last pontoon on the quay outside Isaac's. There is very little space for public water activities and the time has come to draw a halt. It was noticeable that during the recent Ipswich Maritime Festival there was absolutely nothing actually on the water for public engagement.

Tower Ramparts Centre :-

• Tavern Street facade: a new entrance with a high "porch" and a roof protruding into the street. Universally disliked as out of scale and keeping.
• Bus station elevation: to be renovated with new signage and an encompassing scheme of rendering and painting. Too much white rendering.
• Renaming to The Sailmakers to make connection to the Waterfront. Far-fetched and unsatisfactory.

Mike Cook