A vacant bar in Ipswich town centre is set to be converted into a tutoring centre for children.

Ipswich Borough Council have approved a change of use for the former Luna Bar and Lounge in Falcon Street, opposite the Buttermarket shopping centre car park.

Plans for a change of use for the site, formerly a bar serving food and drink that closed in 2020, were approved on Thursday (November 9).

The building was due to go to auction in July but was bought prior to that stage in August.

It was purchased by a franchise of Kip McGrath Education Centres, and plans show the centre is intended to be used to tutor children in English and maths.

Application drawings show plans for the first floor to become three teaching areas with a separate seating area in an open-plan space with mobile partitions, while the ground floor would become a reception with two teaching zones, office, toilets, and a kitchenette.

Ipswich Star: Luna Bar and Lounge closed in 2020.Luna Bar and Lounge closed in 2020. (Image: Newsquest)

The centre would operate with a qualified teacher and teaching assistant tutoring small groups of up to five students at once, with a maximum building occupancy of 30 people at a time over both floors, running after-school sessions in the evenings or weekends.

The goal of the centre would be to help children in Ipswich "boost their learning confidence", according to the plans, through 60-80 minute tutoring sessions that are personalised for every student, in line with the national curriculum.

The plans are expected to create five part-time job positions, according to the application.

There will be no changes to the external appearance of the building, other than a new sign.

Previous plans have been approved for the site to be converted into a one-bedroom first floor flat.

Kip McGrath was founded in Australia in 1976 with the aim of teaching supplementary English and maths to prepare children for the future.