Ipswich Council looks set to give the go-ahead for The Range and Go Outdoors to open new stores on the Anglia Retail Park on Bury Road.
The park’s operators have applied for planning rules to be eased to allow the two stores to open in part of the former B&Q superstore which closed on the retail park last summer.
The Range wants to move its Ipswich store from the Suffolk Retail Park on Yarmouth Road – a location that has been blighted by serious traffic problems for many years.
Go Outdoors – which sells camping equipment, clothes, and cycles – does not have a store in Ipswich but does have a branch in Colchester.
Both companies need to lift a planning condition which requires retailers to only sell “bulky” goods.
Next week’s meeting of the borough’s planning a development committee will discuss their application – but council officers are recommending that the condition is lifted.
If councillors go along with their recommendation work is expected to start in the near future – both retailers want to make changes to the internal layout of the two units, including putting in a mezzanine floor.
It would be a major surprise if members of the committee ignored their officers’ advice – there appears to be widespread public support for the move among Ipswich shoppers.
The operators of the Anglia Retail Park, Trinistar, are also applying for a relaxation of the planning rules on the former Comet unit at the corner of the site to allow a discount retailer to open there.
This would sell DIY goods, some furnishings, gardening equipment, kitchenware, and household goods.
The planning officers are also recommending this application is approved at Wednesday’s meeting.
The Anglia Retail Park has struggled to find tenants in the past, and it was a major blow last year when B & Q announced its closure.
However since then trampoline operator Bounce has announced it is coming to the park and the arrival of The Range and Go Outdoors should give it a major boost.
Other retailers are expected to move into the park which has good road access to north west Ipswich and the A14 for towns and villages to the west of Ipswich.
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