The former Civic Centre site in Ipswich has been opened as the town’s newest car park.

Ipswich Star: The site was derelict before the car park was laid out.The site was derelict before the car park was laid out. (Image: Archant)

The land had been left derelict since the 14-storey building, which was the home to Ipswich Borough Council for 35 years, was demolished in 2009.

Its new landowner, Charterhouse LLP, has now developed it as a 60-space extension to the existing surface car parks off Black Horse Lane.

It has also opened a new entrance from beside the underground spiral car park – giving direct access from Civic Drive.

The work was due to be completed by Easter, but it was delayed because engineers had to be sure they had filled in and stablised the land where the basement of the Civic Centre had been.

It has been opened under a temporary planning permission of up to five years – eventually the site should become part of a much larger “Westgate” development for the town.

The opening should allow Charterhouse LLP to carry out a refurbishment of the 1960s-built underground spiral car park, which it also owns.

Later in the year the borough is due to open another temporary car park, again for up to five years, on the site of the former police station in Elm Street.

And also later in the year redevelopment work is due to get under way to transform the area in front of the New Wolsey Theatre to create a new “Theatre Square.”

This will include an outdoor performance area, a new pedestrian bridge over the entrance to the underground car park, and a new restaurant facing the theatre with its rear facing Civic Drive.

Planning permission for that work was granted recently and it is due to be carried out later this year to transform the area by 2017