M&S gets approval for shop at Copdock Interchange by Ipswich

Babergh District Council gave the go-ahead for the retailer to begin work on the project at the Copdock Interchange on Wednesday afternoon.

It was announced last November that M&S would take over the site after striking a deal with Ipswich Borough Assets, which is owned by the borough council.

The current M&S in Westgate Street, Ipswich (Image: Paul Geater)

The borough council also negotiated a clause for M&S to keep open its current store in Ipswich's Westgate Street, instead of closing it and redirecting customers to the new shop.

It had previously been estimated that the opening of the new store could create in excess of 100 jobs.

Speaking at Wednesday's meeting, a representative of M&S described the new store as "brand-defining" and said it would bring a boost of up to £5million to the local economy.

Some district councillors did raise some concerns during the meeting, however.

Councillor Tim Regester expressed concerns over the steepness of the access ramp, which he said may pose a risk as drivers and cyclists may be travelling too fast.

Meanwhile, councillor Helen Davies asked for more information on traffic lights due to be installed at a nearby roundabout.

There were also some fears about the impact the new store could have on drawing people away from Ipswich town centre.

Babergh councillor Helen Davies (Image: Helen Davies)

However, councillor Michael Holt said that it "was not the responsibility of M&S" to protect Ipswich town centre as shopping habits have changed over time.

After hearing concerns from the community leaders, the planning committee of Babergh unanimously granted the scheme approval.

The site will have 24 cycle parking spaces, as well as 328 customer parking spaces and 43 staff spaces. 

M&S hopes the new store could be open by autumn 2027.