WHEN B&Q opens its new warehouse in January the store in Ipswich town centre will close, The Evening Star can reveal today.The DIY giant had always pledged to keep its first Ipswich store in Grafton Way – close to Cardinal Park – open when it launched a new warehouse at Bury Road and when it announced its latest venture at Ransomes Europark.

WHEN B&Q opens its new warehouse in January the store in Ipswich town centre will close, The Evening Star can reveal today.

The DIY giant had always pledged to keep its first Ipswich store in Grafton Way – close to Cardinal Park – open when it launched a new warehouse at Bury Road and when it announced its latest venture at Ransomes Europark.

But today the company confirmed Grafton Way would go and its 50 or so staff would be transferred to the new warehouse.

A spokesman said there would be no redundancies and they were still recruiting for the new warehouse at Ransomes.

The new multi-million pound DIY centre is being built on the same lines as the warehouse at Bury Road, Anglia Retail Park, and will employ 220 staff including trade experts such as electricians and plumbers.

Described initially by the company as "to complement our other two stores by serving customers on the east side of Ipswich," the new store is almost completed and is on target for opening in January.

The closure of Grafton Way will mean a large empty site in a location which would be prime for redevelopment.