Plans to turn a former Ipswich office into flats with fewer homes than initially proposed have been submitted.

Developer Haven House Ipswich Ltd had originally asked Ipswich Borough Council to approve the conversion of the former HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) office, in Lower Brook Street, into 75 flats back in February 2021.

Upon rejection, the developer resubmitted plans in May 2021 with 49 housing provisions, which were approved.

However, the latest application seeks to meet the conditions of flooding from the previous proposal and reduce the number of dwellings in the property.  

The developer has since ceased operations, and this time around Team AB Services Limited has made the application to the borough council with fewer flats.

The fresh application asks for 37 dwellings in the former office building. 

The flats would range from one to two bedrooms, and as the first application was refused due to a lack of natural lighting all rooms will have at least one window.

Additionally, the plans also have provisions for 18 parking spaces and an EV charging station, along with 100 cycle parking spaces.

The application will also not result in the loss of the adjacent registered nursery and health centre, planning documents have said.

Built in the 1970s, the 40,494 sq ft office was last used by HMRC as it operated locally from both Haven House and St Clare House.

However, HMRC moved out of the building in 2020 to occupy two and a half floors at Brooke Lawrance House in Civic Drive.

HMRC revealed at the time that the move, to the same building as insurance giants AXA, would see 97 job losses.

Speculation over the future of Haven House had been ongoing for several years before the switch.