DIY chain applies for new superstore

BUILDERS' merchant and DIY superstore Wickes is spending tens of thousands of pounds on an attempt to open a new depot in Ipswich - but says it hasn't decided whether it wants to build it!

The company has applied to build a new store on Central Avenue in the Ransomes Europark Industrial Estate on land currently occupied by video manufacturing company Cinram UK.

The application includes the construction of a new factory for Cinram on land next to the proposed Wickes store.

It has been received by Ipswich Borough Council but the future of the company's existing depot on the Hadleigh Road Industrial Estate is unclear.

A spokeswoman for the company said bosses had not yet decided whether to go ahead with the building - despite the cost of the planning application.

The entire cost of making the application to the council is £32,745 - and that does not include the costs of architects or planning consultants.

The Wickes spokeswoman said: “We have no comment to make on our plans for Ipswich. Although there is this planning application, there has been no decision made about what we will be doing in the town.”

The Evening Star understands that planning officials believe that the existing store is likely to close if the new building is given the go-ahead but they have had no confirmation of that.

The new Wickes store will be on the site of the existing Cinram plant, which has easy access to the main service road on the retail park.

Planning officers have only just received the application and so have not had time to decide what their recommendation to councillors is likely to be.

However the proposed site is on an industrial estate and it is regarded as more of a builders' merchants than a DIY store. There are unlikely to be major objections to the proposal.