The development of the former boatyard in Woodbridge, known as Whisstocks, has taken major steps towards its planned opening.

Amongst recent developments is a name for the new public open space which will form an important part of the new site.

Woodbridge Town Councillors discussed and voted on the name at their meeting on Tuesday night.

Amongst the proposed name ideas were Riverside Square, Deben Rivers and Whisstocks Square.

In the end councillors voted on Whisstocks Place with councillor Sheena Rawlings adding that it would show that “Mr Whisstock was a part of Woodbridge.”

With the new name selected councillors also suggested that new signage be added to the site that was appropriate to its place within the town.

It comes weeks after the council announced that the freehold transfer of the community buildings and public open space had finally been achieved.

Members of the council including Martin Sylvester, Michael Dale, David Mortimer, Geoff Holdcroft and Stephen Attwell alongside mayor Clare Perkins and former Town Clerk Chris Walker had long been involved in the project with developers Whisstocks Developments Ltd. to secure part of the site for the town.

Mrs Walker left the council last month after 20 years of service remarking that the development of the site was one of the best projects she had worked on.

The council confirmed that it now hopes to lease out two community buildings on the Whisttocks site to local groups.

The Woodbridge Museum Trust and Woodbridge Riverside Trust will both be offered peppercorn rents for the buildings they hope to use.

The glass topped floodgate installed at the site has also been transferred to the Town Council.

Woodbridge mayor, Clare Perkins said that she was “delighted to be part of the team working with Whisstocks Developments Ltd to secure the exciting future on a site that has been derelict for many years now.”

The scheme at the site has been in development since 2011 and will feature a number of commercial, public and residential spaces in what was the formerly derelict dockyard.

Hopes had been that the site would open last summer but delays slowed completion.