Thousands of new jobs on the way at sugar beet site on edge of Ipswich

An artist's impression of the developed sugar beet site. Archant

This is the first glimpse of what the new business park on the site of the former sugar beet factory on the edge of Ipswich could look like.

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David Ellesmere at the sugar beet factory site. David Ellesmere at the sugar beet factory site.

Thousands of new jobs could be created on the Ipswich council-owned 130-acre site. Its executive is expected to approve a report looking at how it should be developed when it meets next week.

Consultants David Lock Associates – who also produced the Ipswich Garden Suburb masterplan – have produced a proposal to develop the site for exclusively business use.

There had been suggestions that it could be used for a mixture of business and residential development – but that has now been rejected.

Depending on what type of business is attracted to the site the report says between 1,000 and 3,500 jobs could be based there.

No businesses have been signed up to move on to the site – but Ipswich council leader David Ellesmere said there had been significant interest although there had been no marketing of it so far.

If the executive adopts the masterplan then the silos and other buildings on the site will be demolished over the next few months and work will start laying out the road network and other infrastructure.

Mr Ellesmere said: “We had looked at whether it would be possible to have some housing on the site as well as businesses, but it was clear that if you tried to do both there would be conflicts between the homes and businesses so that idea was rejected.

“We hope to start laying out the road network later in the year and start marketing the site at that stage.”

The site was bought by the borough council at the end of 2014 after being largely derelict since the former sugar beet factory closed in 2001.

It is actually in Babergh district – and council officers there have been kept informed about the preparation of the masterplan.

Mr Ellesmere said: “We have kept Babergh in the heart of the discussions we have been having about the masterplan and their officers feel our plans are in line with their thinking for the site.”

The site could include a pub/restaurant, a hotel, convenience stores and car dealerships facing Sproughton Road – but most of the Enterprise Park will be given over to business use with its easy access to the A14 a major draw for potential tenants.