Latest news with #BaberghDistrictCouncil
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Details of M&S plan for Toys R Us store revealed
Marks & Spencer (M&S) says a new "flagship store" will be designed to "meet the needs of local shoppers" in Ipswich as it submits plans. The retailer announced plans to open a new food and clothing store within the former Toys R Us shop at the Copdock Interchange in November. Its existing store in Ipswich town centre on Westgate Street will remain open and M&S has officially submitted its plans to Babergh District Council for consideration. The plans reveal M&S will partly demolish the Toys R Us building, while the new store will help employ 124 people. The new store will include a food hall, clothing area, cafe and car parking for 328 customers and 43 staff members. The application added that the development would "complement, rather than compete with, the existing retail offer and improve customer choice and competition in Ipswich". The site has been vacant since 2018 when Toys R Us went into administration. M&S wants to remove an existing wall within the building as well as demolish a small area to the rear to create a larger service yard. Matthew Hicks, the Conservative leader of Suffolk County Council, previously welcomed the news of the new store. "We fully support this deal with M&S because it retains their long-standing presence in the town centre whilst also breathing new life into a very visible entrance to Ipswich that has lain vacant for so long," he said. The council will consider the application before making a decision in the future. Will Smith, property director at M&S, said he was "excited" the plans had moved one step forward. "We have the opportunity to transform a vacant site into one of the most modern shopping destinations in the UK and offer residents the very best of M&S Food, Fashion and Beauty," he said. "The new store would enable us to grow our footprint in Ipswich, building on our existing presence, create new jobs for the community and bring new investment to the area." Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. M&S reveals plan for new Ipswich out-of-town store M&S in talks to move in to former Toys R Us shop Marks and Spencer Babergh District Council
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Details of M&S plan for Toys R Us store revealed
Marks & Spencer (M&S) says a new "flagship store" will be designed to "meet the needs of local shoppers" in Ipswich as it submits plans. The retailer announced plans to open a new food and clothing store within the former Toys R Us shop at the Copdock Interchange in November. Its existing store in Ipswich town centre on Westgate Street will remain open and M&S has officially submitted its plans to Babergh District Council for consideration. The plans reveal M&S will partly demolish the Toys R Us building, while the new store will help employ 124 people. The new store will include a food hall, clothing area, cafe and car parking for 328 customers and 43 staff members. The application added that the development would "complement, rather than compete with, the existing retail offer and improve customer choice and competition in Ipswich". The site has been vacant since 2018 when Toys R Us went into administration. M&S wants to remove an existing wall within the building as well as demolish a small area to the rear to create a larger service yard. Matthew Hicks, the Conservative leader of Suffolk County Council, previously welcomed the news of the new store. "We fully support this deal with M&S because it retains their long-standing presence in the town centre whilst also breathing new life into a very visible entrance to Ipswich that has lain vacant for so long," he said. The council will consider the application before making a decision in the future. Will Smith, property director at M&S, said he was "excited" the plans had moved one step forward. "We have the opportunity to transform a vacant site into one of the most modern shopping destinations in the UK and offer residents the very best of M&S Food, Fashion and Beauty," he said. "The new store would enable us to grow our footprint in Ipswich, building on our existing presence, create new jobs for the community and bring new investment to the area." Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. M&S reveals plan for new Ipswich out-of-town store M&S in talks to move in to former Toys R Us shop Marks and Spencer Babergh District Council
BBC News
10-07-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Details of M&S plan for Toys R Us store at Copdock revealed
Marks & Spencer (M&S) has said a new "flagship store" would be designed to "meet the needs of local shoppers" in Ipswich as it submits retailer announced plans to open a new food and clothing store within the former Toys R Us shop at the Copdock Interchange in existing store in Ipswich town centre on Westgate Street will remain open and M&S has officially submitted its plans to Babergh District Council for plans reveal M&S will partly demolish the Toys R Us building, while the new store will help employ 124 people. In its application, M&S said it would be a new store designed to "meet the needs of local shoppers and improve the existing M&S offer within Ipswich". The new store will include a food hall, clothing area, cafe and car parking for 328 customers and 43 staff members. The application added that the development would "complement, rather than compete with, the existing retail offer and improve customer choice and competition in Ipswich". The site has been vacant since 2018 when Toys R Us went into administration. M&S wants to remove an existing wall within the building as well as demolish a small area to the rear to create a larger service yard. Matthew Hicks, the Conservative leader of Suffolk County Council, previously welcomed the news of the new store."We fully support this deal with M&S because it retains their long-standing presence in the town centre whilst also breathing new life into a very visible entrance to Ipswich that has lain vacant for so long," he council will consider the application before making a decision in the future. Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
BBC News
06-02-2025
- Business
- BBC News
'Inappropriate' Suffolk solar farm plan refused by council
Plans for a solar farm were refused by councillors after one said they were "totally inappropriate".Babergh District Council met on Wednesday to discuss the submitted plans for the solar farm in Bentley near Switch Capital's plans received 13 letters in support while 175 residents submitted officers had previously recommended the plans were refused which councillors unanimously agreed to follow. The application was for a site between Potash Lane and Church Road in the village, mostly located on land of the best quality for agriculture, reports the Local Democracy Reporting solar farm, with up to 40 MW of export capacity, would be built on 48.3 hectares (119.3 acres) alongside ancillary infrastructure and cabling, two substations, and new vehicular Capel St Mary and Tattingstone parish councils submitted objections to the at the meeting, Michael Bamford, a Bentley parish councillor, shared many of the concerns, including fears the solar panels would "industrialise" the landscape and leave "lasting damage".Thomas Hill, an objector, said the plans had brought anxiety to residents and stressed best quality land, landscape, and heritage assets should not be sacrificed to build a solar the application, officers backed concerns with a recommendation for refusal on the grounds of significant landscape and heritage harm. A 'unique' site Despite the opposition, Tom Roseblade, the agent, said the company disputed the impacts on the landscape and stressed the benefits of the solar stressed these benefits outweighed the potential harm and suggested the plans could still be approved by the planning inspector even if they were refused by the district Democrat and Bentley ward member, David Busby, argued the historical setting of the site made the plans "totally inappropriate"."Much of the historical assets around it go back to the medieval times, this has remained unchanged for that kind of period, it's very unique in that," he added."It is an area that deserves conserving, you don't get this kind of landscape and heritage anywhere else, it's unique."There are hundreds of other sites potentially coming forward, we do not need this one." Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
