Cliff Quay Proposal

Ipswich: Asda linked with redevelopment of Tolly Cobbold brewery

By Paul Geater Tuesday, September 18, 2012
2:07 PM

AMBITIOUS multi-million pound proposals to redevelop the former Tolly Cobbold brewery and surrounding land have been formally lodged with Ipswich Borough Council.

Workers at Cobbold's Brewery in the 1930s

As revealed earlier this year, Suffolk-based Pigeon developments wants to turn the historic brewery into a business centre – including a micro-brewery – and carry out significant development nearby.

This would include building a supermarket, similar in size to the Stoke Park Asda, an hotel, and flats.

The application has been lodged with the planning department at Grafton House. It is expected to be discussed by the borough’s planning and development committee in November.

The name of the operator being lined up to take on the supermarket has not been revealed, and in its application Pigeon says it is still in negotiations with possible occupiers of the site.

In the past Asda said it wanted to build another medium-sized supermarket in south east Ipswich and it would not be a surprise if that turned out to be the final tenant.

The proposals envisage parking being included under the supermarket building. The current bid is for outline planning permission – a full detailed application is likely to come later if this is given permission.

Developing the former brewery has been problematic in the past as it could not be turned into housing because it was too near the Vopak oil terminal.

However, since that closed the restriction has been eased – which means there could be some homes built on the site.

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3 comments

@Kenny M I thought that opening an Asda meant someone had created a run-down shopping centre!

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bigger niche

Monday, September 24, 2012
Very good question, an idea! There were originally flats above the shops at the now demolished Stoke Park Shopping Centre as it was called. I thought it was part of the condition of the new development that an equal number of replacement flats were to be provided to compensate for the loss of these. I believe the reason there are none is that the developer of these and the proposed additional shop units pulled out due to the recession. I hope that eventually they will get built to complete the development. The Asda store there has certainly improved what was a run-down shopping centre and the additional apartment blocks will enhance what is already a pleasant looking area. I am sure that the Asda bosses would like a few extra potential customers living "on their doorstep" too.

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Ken Kernow

Tuesday, September 18, 2012
There was supposed to be flats and shopping units including the chinese takeaway up stoke park when asda was built!! Where are they now? just wasteland, apart from asda that is

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an idea

Tuesday, September 18, 2012