waterfront: Developers have today offered reassurance that a multi-million pound hotel complex can still go ahead despite them going into administration.

The project to regenerate a section of Orwell Quay with a 90-bed hotel, two apartment blocks and a health club was thrown into doubt after it emerged that the orginal developer, London Provincial and Overseas Ltd, had gone into administration.

But company administrators BDO have confirmed the planning application is going forward and they are looking at selling the site on to another developer.

A spokesman said: “Planning application for the site remains ongoing under the joint administrators and will be presented to the council’s planning committee tomorrow.

“BDO is currently in discussions with interested parties to secure the sale of the site.”

This comes as a welcome boost to those living and working on the Waterfront, who have seen several projects left unfinished or abandoned in the early stages as developers are hit by the recession.

Anthony Coe, owner of John Russell Art Gallery in Wherry Lane, said: “I would love to see further development to encourage the general public to spend money down here.

“There are planning permissions for a lot of places round here though, so I will believe it when I see it. But as far as I’m concerned, the more the merrier.”

The proposal will go before Ipswich Borough Council planners tomorrow.

Holywells councillor Liz Harsant said: “I do hope it goes ahead – it would really help to clear up that site and it would finish off the Orwell Quay nicely.

“We don’t want a half-finished building again, but let’s be optimistic things are picking up. I’m sure no one would enter into it unless they were sure of the finances, so I think it’s a case of just waiting to see if anything happens tomorrow.”

n What do you think of the proposed development? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN, or e-mail evening starletters@eveningstar.co.uk.