Central Ipswich Primary School, Carr Street, Ipswich

The Department for Education, in conjunction with Suffolk County Council, has identified a need for a new Primary School in the central Ipswich area. The Active Learning Trust has been selected as sponsor to run the primary school. Following an extensive search, the former Cooperative Department Store, which is owned by Ipswich Borough Council, has been identified as being available and in a suitable location. It is proposed that the existing buildings are demolished to enable the construction of a 2-Form Entry (420-place) Primary School and (26-place) Nursery. Morgan Sindall are to be the main contractor, with Lanpro as the project planning consultants and facilitators of this public consultation event.

The complex physical nature of the former Department Store, together with its planning context and that of its immediate surroundings, has led to a number of discussions with the Borough Council as Local Planning Authority. This early feedback has enabled the project team to refine the draft proposals, and they are now ready to share with local residents, interest groups and the general public. The purpose of this consultation is to provide details of the emerging proposals, and to seek your feedback.

The Active Learning Trust consists of a family of 21 primary, secondary and area special schools within Suffolk and Cambridgeshire. In the Ipswich area, the Trust runs Chantry Academy, which is rated ‘Good’ in all areas by Ofsted, and also Gusford Primary School, Hillside Primary School and Sidegate Primary School.

Under the direction of the Trust’s CEO and Senior Leadership Team, it delivers high-quality education to pupils across all age ranges, from early years through to post-16, maximising their potential for learning. The Trust unites its schools with a shared set of values and a vision. It has a strong moral purpose of enabling schools to deliver high levels of achievement for all pupils, regardless of socio-economic circumstances, family situation or ethnic background. It also secures and sustains improvements in its schools by providing leadership and strategic delivery, and through contracted work with school leaders and their teams.

Further information related to the operation of the Proposed Central Ipswich Primary School, including the date of its opening, application process, catchment, and whether its facilities will be available for use outside of school hours, will be publicised in due course.

To find out more about The Active Learning Trust, and its schools, visit: https://www.activelearningtrust.org/.

The former Cooperative Department Store is located towards the eastern end of Carr Street and has been vacant sine the early 2010s. It is approximately 0.5 hectares in size, and is bounded by Carr Street to the north; existing properties fronting onto Upper Orwell Street to the east; a separate landholding which fronts onto Upper Barclay Street to the south; and Cox Lane to the west. The site lies within the main retail and commercial area of Ipswich.

The Site comprises a number of separate, but conjoined, buildings, which provide the impression of a single continuous block. The buildings were originally constructed and occupied by the Cooperative Society, whose name and mottos are repeated across a number of the elevations. Each of the buildings has a distinctive façade which varies in architectural style to reflect its period of construction (1900s to 1950s), although the shopfronts are not original and were replaced in the late 1990s / early 2000s. The buildings fronting onto Carr Street are 2 to 3-storeys in height. Whilst the existing buildings are not statutorily listed by Historic England, the façades which front onto Carr Street are included on the Borough Council’s “local list”, which means they have heritage merit. This will be a consideration in the determination of a planning application.

To the rear of the Site are a number of later extensions to the buildings fronting onto Carr Street. These subsequent additions appear to have been constructed from the early 1930s through to the 1960s, and are 2, 3 and 4-storeys in height. A service yard provides access to the rear of the Site from Cox Lane. 

Planning law requires planning applications to be determined in accordance with the Borough Council’s adopted planning policies, unless other considerations indicate otherwise. In addition, it requires special regard to be given to the desirability of preserving statutorily listed buildings and their setting.  

The Borough Council’s adopted planning policies are currently set out in the Local Plan dated February 2017. The Borough Council is in the process of reviewing its Local Plan, and an Inspector appointed by the Secretary of State is in the process of Examining the updated version.

On the Proposals Map which accompanies the adopted Local Plan, the Site is included within the Mint Quarter / Cox Lane Regeneration Area. This allocation is proposed to continue in the updated iteration of the Local Plan, although the wording of the policy is proposed to change. The emerging policy requires, amongst other things, a Primary School to be provided, and the retention of the locally listed façade to Carr Street. The emerging policy continues to state that a Development Brief for the Regeneration Area will be prepared by the Borough Council, although development is not precluded from coming forward incrementally.

A further building, 38 Carr Street, to the west of the former Department Store is also on the Borough Council's "local list". A number of statutorily listed buildings are in close proximity, including the United Reformed Church (Grade II) and the Church of St Pancras (Grade II). An area between Upper Brook Street and Upper Orwell Street is also identified as a scheduled monument. The Site is therefore in close proximity to a number of buildings and structures which have heritage merit.

In light of the Site’s planning context, initial proposals concentrated on the refurbishment and alteration of the existing buildings. However, the current structures do not easily lend themselves to being converted into a Primary School, and therefore the option of refurbishment was discounted. Consideration was then given to the retention of the locally listed façade, with a new building constructed behind. However, it was felt that the retention of the façade would significantly compromise the functionality of the new building, and therefore not make the best use of the site, and would also impact upon the learning experience of attending pupils. It would also have significant cost implications. It is therefore considered that the only viable option is to demolish the majority of the existing buildings and construct a new purpose built facility on the Site.

Some elements of the existing buildings, including the Co-op logo, mosaic, and 'one for all' sign, are to be sensitively re-provided on the new building to maintain the link with the Site's historic past.

The proposed development principally comprises the demolition of the existing buildings and structures, and the construction of a 2-Form Entry (420-place) Primary School and (26-place) Nursery, with hard and soft landscaping.

The proposed design is for a 2-storey building which is arranged in three distinct blocks: the teaching area; the hall block; and the circulation and exhibition core. The building’s footprint is to be minimised in order to maximise external space. Large windows are to be incorporated into the design of the Carr Street elevation. The rationale for this is to replicate the large shop windows in the existing building, reflecting those along the street, and providing animation. The curved corner of the existing building where Cox Lane meets Carr Street is also proposed to be replicated in the new building.

It is proposed to slightly set back the new building in comparison to the existing, in order to provide an area for ramps and steps to ensure level access. A further benefit of this approach is that it will allow for a semi-public area to be created between the Primary School and Carr Street for privacy and to allow parents to gather at the start and end of the school day. Two entrances, for pupils, to the Primary School are proposed: from Carr Street, and from Cox Lane.

The building is to be constructed using a traditional steel frame with concrete plank floors and roof. This will provide flexibility should the building need to be adapted in the future. The external façade of the building is proposed to be finished in a combination of buff brick, render and metal cladding.

Due to the nature of the Site, it is not possible to provide traditional playing fields. However, a multi-use games area is proposed to be installed on the roof of the building, together with additional play space towards the rear of the Site. This is to be enclosed by a 3.6 metre high fence to ensure that no ball sport activities impact on nearby roads.

A car park is not proposed for the Primary School. This is because it is very centrally located, and therefore easily accessible by pedestrians, cyclists and scooters, and well connected with local bus routes. A number of public car parks are available in very close proximity for use by visitors to the Primary School. All servicing to the Primary School is to be from Cox Lane by way of Upper Barclay Street.

The Consultation Drawing Pack is available for download in PDF format here. (20MB file size)

We hope that you support the emerging proposals for the Central Ipswich Primary School.

If you would like to provide comment on the proposed details, please contact us by email at: reply@lanproservices.co.uk

Please make "Carr Street", "Central Ipswich School" or similar the email subject, so that we can identify your comments for this consultation as easily as possible.

Alternatively, you can write to us at:

Central Ipswich Primary School Proposals, c/o Lanpro Services, Brettingham House, 98 Pottergate, Norwich, NR2 1EQ

Please note that this consultation closes on Friday 8 January 2021. Comments received after this date may not be able to be considered.

Once we have considered all comments, we will report back and present the final plans before submission of the planning application. We are hoping to submit a planning application in February/March 2021, secure planning permission in Summer 2021, start works on site towards the end of 2021, and open the Primary School in September 2023.

We look forward to hearing your thoughts.

Once a planning application has been submitted, you will be able to formally comment on the proposed development by way of the Borough Council’s online planning register (https://ppc.ipswich.gov.uk/), or in writing at Development Management, 3W Grafton House, 15-17 Russell Road, Ipswich, IP1 2DE.