Bid to revive Woodbridge’s youth hub, in Jetty Lane, lodged with planners

A bid to revive a town’s youth hub and build a new nursery has been lodged with planners.

An application for the removal of four temporary buildings to facilitate the construction of two new linked buildings at the Jetty Lane site, in The Avenue, Woodbridge, was validatd by East Suffolk Council on Monday.

The land is owned by Suffolk County Council, with Jetty Lane CIO as the leaseholder and community provider.

The old Woodbridge youth centre was demolished in 2016, with the CIO established to save the site ‘permanently for community use’.

This left youth organisations like Just42 without a home – this group would have permanent office space at the proposed Jetty Lane site.

The land currently houses four temporary buildings occupied by the likes of Just42 and the Vintage Litter Museum.

The new site would be run in partnership with Childbase, a nursery group, which would be the ‘sustainable income generator’ for the project, a design and access statement said.

The new builds would be of a similar size and shape and development will be completed in one phase.

The childcare facility would be towards the centre of the site to create sufficient outdoor play space.

The plans also comprise the construction of a new playscape for neurodivergent children.

The application said it is ‘vital’ for organisations like Just42 to remain in a ‘central Woodbridge location’ to make it easily accessible to young people, local volunteers and the schools and villages in its catchment.

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A determination on the application is expected by September 30.