Aquatics centre to be built near football ground

A new aquatics centre is set to be built outside Ipswich Town's stadium after councillors approved the project.

Blueprints showed the facility would include a large gym, sauna and a 25m (82ft) swimming pool with eight lanes, as well as a smaller "learner" pool.

The 562-space car park behind Portman Road's Cobbold Stand will make way for the centre, developed by council-backed Handford Homes.

Neil MacDonald, Labour leader of Ipswich Borough Council, described the scheme's approval as a "momentous achievement".

"This project will become a community jewel, a symbol of how sports, leisure, and communal wellbeing are valued in Ipswich," he added.

A soft play centre and a new cafe were also included in the plans, with swimmers also able to enjoy a smaller 17m (55ft) pool and water flumes.

Councillors also looked at a wider masterplan for the site, which could include a hotel and leisure area, the Local Democracy Reporting Service reported.

Part of the land has been set aside to allow for the expansion of the Cobbold Stand, which Ipswich Town has an "in-principle agreement" to buy.

However, the development hinges on a 749-space car park being built across seven levels in Portman Road, replacing the outgoing facility.

Labour councillor Carole Jones told the planning meeting on Wednesday that it was an "aspirational vision" for Ipswich.

She said sports provision could be improved hand-in-hand with the football club, which was relegated from the Premier League on Saturday.

Speaking after the meeting, MacDonald added: "Our focus now shifts to implementing the next phases of the project and continuing to attract forward-thinking investors."

Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.