Why it matters: The closure isn't another retail failure story – it's evidence of how Ipswich's high street is being deliberately reshaped. Applications submitted in October propose 10 flats and three shop units for the building, part of a broader pattern of converting upper floors to residential while subdividing ground-floor retail.
The details: House to Home opened in May and is now holding a closing-down sale, with "everything must go" signs visible in the windows.
Planning applications submitted by Nottingham-based developer ALB Chesterfield Ltd in October propose:
Ten flats on the first floor (seven one-bedroom, three two-bedroom)
Three shop units on the ground floor and basement with new shopfronts on Tavern Street, Tower Street and Oak Lane
Retained loading bay with access from Tower Street
The bigger picture: The redevelopment fits a pattern of Ipswich town centre regeneration that converts upper floors to residential while maintaining ground-floor retail, an approach planning documents describe as supporting the council's 2036 growth vision and mirrored in mixed-use schemes nationally.
The building has housed a succession of major retailers over recent decades, including BHS, Superdrug and H&M, which occupied the site for more than 15 years before leaving in November 2022. Since then, Sports Direct, GAME and a perfume pop-up have all occupied the space briefly before House to Home opened in May.
What they're saying: The developer calls the building an "underused asset" representing a "significant opportunity for town centre revitalisation."
Planning documents say the scheme will "introduce new commercial and retail units at ground floor level" while "residential accommodation on the first floor will bring new demographics into the town centre" and create "vibrancy beyond traditional trading hours."
For context: The building sits in Ipswich Central Conservation Area near the Grade II* listed Great White Horse Hotel. A heritage statement concludes that the proposals would cause "less than substantial harm" to the heritage setting.
The redevelopment subdivides the retail space into three units while maintaining commercial floorspace. A Geoffrey Chaucer blue plaque will be relocated as part of the works.
What's not clear: Several questions remain unanswered: Was House to Home always intended as a temporary occupant, given it opened in May and planning applications were submitted in October? When will the council determine the applications? And who might take the three new shop units?
The bottom line: House to Home's short tenure looks less like retail collapse and more like a bridge to redevelopment. With smaller shop units and new flats planned, the outcome will hinge on whether new tenants and residents bring sustained activity to the corner site.
