Developers 'excited' to transform 'dilapidated' snooker hall into housing

Approval has been given to develop Ipswich's former billiard hall into a co-living building. 

Ipswich Borough Council's planning committee approved plans for the 16-bedroom house of multiple occupancy in a meeting on October 20. 

The former Q Ball premises in Upper Brook Street is set to be demolished. 

In its place will be a new "sustainable and economically viable" building with 14 single and two double bedrooms, as well as shared laundry, office, TV lounge and kitchen spaces. 

Stan Beanland, Beanland Associates Architects, the agents for the development, said: "We are pleased to have obtained consent for the exciting development of 21 Upper Brook Street.

"The scheme will transform the current dilapidated building and site into an attractive and purposeful building providing much needed high-quality accommodation and other facilities for single people in the town.  

"We are now working with the owners and their development partners to secure funding for the project and to agree a timetable for implementation which we hope will see works commence in the spring of 2022." 

The initial application was submitted on June 30, with the council's decision deferred at a meeting in September. 

Planning officers sought more information surrounding fire safety, on-site management and measures to restrict the number of bedrooms. 

It was confirmed that a duty manager would be on site at all times, and CCTV and sprinkler systems would be in place.