A major new office block could be built in the heart of the Ipswich business district if planners give it the go-ahead early in the New Year.

Ipswich Star: An architect's impression of the new Coalyard development planned for Chancery Road in Ipswich. Picture: PERTWEE ESTATES/IPSWICH COUNCILAn architect's impression of the new Coalyard development planned for Chancery Road in Ipswich. Picture: PERTWEE ESTATES/IPSWICH COUNCIL (Image: Archant)

The Coalyard would be built next to The Maltings business centre on Chancery Road - between the refurbished maltings and the town's Crown Court building.

It would be a modern glass-fronted block providing more than 1,700 square metres of office accommodation in four storeys over car parking spaces just a short walk from the rail station.

The land is currently used as surface car parking for The Maltings - and the new offices would be built for Pertwee Estates which carried out the widely-praised refurbishment of the Victorian building and has seen businesses queuing up to take office space.

The land is earmarked for office space and in documents supporting the application, Pertwee Estates emphasise they have worked with the borough in drawing up the plan.

Ipswich Star: Colin Kreidewolf at the West End Road car park in Ipswich - this could be turned into a multi-storey in the future. Picture: PAUL GEATER.Colin Kreidewolf at the West End Road car park in Ipswich - this could be turned into a multi-storey in the future. Picture: PAUL GEATER. (Image: Archant)

They say: "Pre-application discussions were held with Ipswich Borough Council, starting in November 2018 and concluding with the issue of a formal response in October 2019, confirming that the principle of the redevelopment of the car park for office use could be supported."

The developers have spoken to the council's conservation and design panel and suggested a number of ideas before settling on the application they have now submitted.

The application could be discussed as early as February's meeting of the borough's planning and development committee.

Senior Ipswich councillor Colin Kreidewolf, who spearheads the authority's economic development efforts, said he expected his fellow councillors to consider the application sympathetically.

Ipswich Star: An architect's impression of the new Coalyard development planned for Chancery Road in Ipswich showing its position near the Crown Court and the existing maltings. Picture: PERTWEE ESTATES/IPSWICH COUNCILAn architect's impression of the new Coalyard development planned for Chancery Road in Ipswich showing its position near the Crown Court and the existing maltings. Picture: PERTWEE ESTATES/IPSWICH COUNCIL (Image: Archant)

"That is the kind of development we are looking for there and they have been talking to us before coming up with the formal application," he said.

It would attract more people to that part of the town - and could prompt the borough to move ahead with its plans to build a new multi-storey car park on the site of the existing West End Road park next to it.

Mr Kreidewolf said: "We are looking at building a multi-storey at Portman Road first, but if this development goes ahead and there is more demand for space, we could move ahead there soon after the first is built."