Former council offices to go on the market to save town centre regeneration plans

20/08/24

Mid Suffolk District Council’s former offices in Needham Market are to go on the market in order to deliver the regeneration plans and funds for reinvestment back into council housing.

The council’s ambitious vision of the regeneration of Needham Market has already seen the award-winning conversion of the town’s former middle school site to include a mix of affordable housing for rent and purchase for local residents, as well as the retention of a Victorian school building as a new library.

The council also successfully delivered the first phase of the transformation of its former council office site – creating another 32 homes, including further affordable housing, plus a new retail unit, which Co-op moved into last year.

However, the council’s development partner has chosen to step back from the former HQ project ahead of its second phase, which includes a further 48 open market homes and the redevelopment of grade 2 listed Hurstlea House in 12 apartments.

Mid Suffolk District Council’s cabinet member for housing and property Cllr Richard Winch said: “As a local authority, we are not in a position to take on the full burden of financial risk to complete this project alone – but we are confident that there will be commercial interest in this site and another party will come on board to deliver the scheme in line with current planning consent.

“Receipts from the sale of the land can then be reinvested into projects which help us to improve the standards of our council housing across the district.”

Any new developer would be bound by existing planning conditions for the scheme, which includes the number of homes to be built on the site, agreed landscaping, and the retention and sympathetic conversion of Hurstlea House.

The council has already written to neighbouring residents and briefed town councillors, and is committed to keeping everyone fully informed, with marketing of the site expected to start over coming weeks.

In the meantime, the council continues to invest in ongoing security at the site in order to keep it as safe and secure as possible. Anyone spotting suspicious activity is asked to contact Suffolk Police immediately.