The details: Wellbeing (United Kingdom) Limited received approval from the Planning and Development Committee on Wednesday to convert 2 Blanche Street from a vehicle store to a pharmacy with external alterations.
The 165-square-metre building will include a 41-square-metre retail area, dispensary, consultation room, staff facilities, and two secure staff parking spaces. Operating hours will be 8:00am-7:30pm Monday to Friday, 8am-5pm Saturdays, and closed Sundays and bank holidays.
The concerns: Two residents and Councillor Inga Lockington objected to the plans, citing increased traffic near St Margaret's Primary School, weekend parking pressures from Hope Church, and inadequate on-site parking.
Another resident from Blanche Street warned of "increased traffic and congestion, intensified by the proximity to a garage and tyre repair centre, and notably at school pick-up times."
The response: Planning officers removed a proposed customer parking space after highway authorities said it could not be legally conditioned. Suffolk County Council's Highway Authority stated: "The location is not ideal to allow for additional parking as most of the surrounding area is subject to resident parking schemes however, in terms of the change of use, the premises is in a sustainable location."
What's next: The pharmacy will replace the company's existing Orchard Street location. Planning agent Jonathan Lainchbury told officers: "The space will revert to the surgery for other uses. The allocation of pharmacies is dictated by the Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment published by Suffolk County Council, and according to the latest draft, the PNA for Ipswich is full with no new or unserved need."
For context: The application was deferred from July's committee meeting to address vehicle tracking concerns and security considerations. The building has a planning history, including previous approvals for residential development that were never implemented.
The bottom line: Despite parking concerns, councillors approved the pharmacy conversion as a positive use for a deteriorating building, with conditions including delivery management plans, CCTV installation, and restrictions limiting use specifically to pharmacy operations.
