STUNNING new developments could transform part of Ipswich's waterfront.Housebuilders Redrow Homes have redesigned the "Monte Carlo-style" flats proposed for the Neptune Marina site, off Coprolite Street.

STUNNING new developments could transform part of Ipswich's waterfront.

Housebuilders Redrow Homes have redesigned the "Monte Carlo-style" flats proposed for the Neptune Marina site, off Coprolite Street.

They are development partners with Neptune's Alan Swann, and have made significant changes to the original proposal for the site.

It still contains shops, offices, and restaurants on the bottom two floors – but the number of flats has been more than doubled to 121.

The new design is more intensive than the original plan, with more one and two-bedroomed flats and fewer large units.

And it is higher, with an extra storey on each of the blocks.

The application is due to be discussed by Ipswich Council's development control committee in February or March.

Work is expected to get underway during the spring, and the development should be finished during the first half of next year.

At the town end of the Waterfront, Status Property Group wants to build a 17-storey block of flats on land currently occupied by the former Burton's confectionary factory.

The block of 98 flats would be the tallest in Ipswich – St Francis Court has 16 floors.

The application is at an earlier stage than that from Redrow Homes, and no indication has been given about when work might start.

The application also includes retaining part of the old Burton's factory and converting it into a further 33 flats.

The applications were both lodged with Ipswich Council over the last week.

"We had been in talks about the Redrow application and that is expected to be dealt with fairly soon," said head of development control Mike Smith.

"The other one came as a bit of a surprise and we will be talking to the developers over the next few weeks – that might come before the committee a bit later," he said.