Ipswich Town plans to demolish Staples could begin February

And it hopes to clear the site in February in a bid to improve the access to the Sir Alf Ramsey Stand.

The club's proposals to redevelop the land were revealed last month - it hopes to create an attractive new entrance to the stand and give it a better aspect for fans approaching the ground from the railway station.

It has submitted proposals to the council, asking whether it will need to apply for full planning permission to demolish what is basically a warehouse put up in the 1990s.

Mark Ashton (Image: Archant)

When the plans were announced last month, Ipswich Town chief executive Mark Ashton described the buildings as "basically a brick wall with a tin roof on it" and said it would be much better to flatten the area before deciding how to develop it as a fanzone and more attractive setting for the football club.

Staples itself went into administration and its warehouses were taken over and rebranded as Office Outlet - but that new company did not survive long.

The application will be examined by planning officers before a decision is made on whether councillors will need to have a say.

But there has been widespread support for the football club's plans to redevelop a site that has been empty for many years with little other redevelopement interest.