Plans for six flats at Stowmarket’s former HSBC, in Market Place, refused by Mid Suffolk District Council

Plans to create six new flats in a former town centre bank have been refused due to issues with transport and noise.

Mid Suffolk District Council rejected the proposals from Barry Wayne for 20 Market Place, in Stowmarket, yesterday.

The building was formerly the town’s HSBC.

The proposals would have retained a ground floor commercial unit.

Planners said the application failed to ‘adequately address’ transport and noise impacts for the proposed development, and thus was not in accordance with policy.

Suffolk Highways gave a holding objection to the proposals. It said the plans did not meet its requirements in relation to vehicle parking.

Four spaces were detailed in the plans for the flats, which it said it considered ‘unacceptable’.

A public objection to the plans was submitted, which cited concerns with inadequate parking provision, increased traffic and it being over development of the site.

Stowmarket Town Council gave no objection to the application.

It recognised the loss of ground floor commercial space in the town centre, but said on balance the plans were in ‘the realms of being acceptable’ due to the need for a mixed use of property in the town centre for ‘its future evolution and sustainability’.

The plans the building would have been converted to provide one flat on the ground floor while retaining the commercial unit, while the first and second floors would have been converted to form four one-bedroom flats and one two-bedroom flat.