Plans are being made for a third time to demolish an Ipswich garden centre to make way for a new 70-bedroom care home.

An application has been made to Ipswich Borough Council for the demolition of the former garden centre and plant nursery Victoria Nurseries, in Kettlebaston Way.

The garden centre closed in December after nearly 40 years of supplying plants and Christmas trees to the town’s gardens.

Permission for First Care Homes to build a 70-bedroom care home on the site was refused at planning committee for a second time in March last year as the proposal was "not appropriate to the character of the area".

The panel found the design unacceptable due to the scale of the building and inadequate parking provision, but officers ahead of the meeting said the plans were “acceptable in terms of housing supply, site allocation and in terms of the principles of development as a care home”.

The site, off Westerfield Road, would become a three-storey care home if the latest application is approved.

The application was made by Robert Jeffery, managing director of First Care Homes.

The plans are based on the earlier application for the site, but the details have been amended to address the parking and highway issues, after concerns were raised over overspill parking impacting the nearby roads.

A parking assessment confirms the need for on-site parking spaces, and the plans include introducing a parking management plan and a staff travel plan, as well as a commitment to contribute to a Traffic Regulation Order to control the location of offsite parking if needed.

There are plans for a car park with 33 car parking spaces, two disability spaces, and three motorcycle spaces.

If the plans get the go ahead the business is expected to create 65 full time jobs, according to planning application documents.