Motor dealership closes

ONE of the best known motor dealerships in the Ipswich area has closed.

The Desira Group site alongside the A1214 Woodbridge Road, in Rushmere St Andrew, just outside Ipswich, is understood to have closed last Friday and now stands empty, with all vehicles having been removed from the site.

Desira operated Fiat and Mitsubishi franchises from the site, including new and used car and commercial vehicle sales, together with servicing and repairs.

A spokeswoman at Desira said yesterday that the company would not be commenting publicly on the closure but letters had been sent to customers to explain the situation.

The Desira Motor Group is a major regional employer with nine dealerships across the South East from London to Lowestoft. Its other locations including Bury St Edmunds, Diss and Norwich with other marques sold including Alfa Romeo, Nissan and Citroen.

It is continuing to sell Fiats from dealerships in Bury St Edmunds, Diss, Norwich, Great Yarmouth and Southgate (London) and it also continues to operate a Mitsubishi franchise in Norwich.

The Rushmere site was previously operated by the Sterling Motor Group, which was owned by the East of England Co-operative, and the freehold is still owned by the society.

A spokeswoman for the East of England Co-op yesterday confirmed that Desira had decided not to renew its lease on the site and said the society would now be “actively marketing” the premises.

The Sterling Motor Group was broken up in a phased withdrawal from the motors sector by the society shortly after its formation in 2005 through the merger of the Ipswich & Norwich and Colchester & East Essex co-ops.

Desira initially added the Rushmere site to its regional network on Fiat dealerships before adding a Mitsubishi franchise last year.