THREE new housing developments providing more than 100 homes within walking distance of Ipswich town centre have been given the go ahead.Work has already started on building 36 flats for rent on the site of the former Orwell Service station in Fore Street.

THREE new housing developments providing more than 100 homes within walking distance of Ipswich town centre have been given the go ahead.

Work has already started on building 36 flats for rent on the site of the former Orwell Service station in Fore Street.

Most of the flats will be owned and managed by the Flagship Housing Association - but they are being built by Brace Force Ltd to fulfill its obligation to provide social housing in the deal to convert the former Burtons building on the Waterfront and redevelop the Grimwade Memorial Hall site.

A total of 50 new flats has been given the go-ahead on the wasteland on the corner of Wolsey Street and Franciscan Way.

This prominent site has been wasteland for many years and previous attempts to get it redeveloped have come to nothing.

Head of development control Mike Smith said: "This is the third application we have dealt with for that site - it's one of the frustrations of this job that you can do a lot of work on a project and then nothing happens.

"We are hopeful that this time we will see the flats built - it's a prominent site and should be developed."

A further 24 flats are to be built in Fore Hamlet on the junction with Myrtle Road.

This development will include the construction of a new shop or office in the ground floor below the flats.