AN award-winning Suffolk development company has won the chance to take on the exciting and challenging conversion of Felixstowe’s Bartlet Hospital into luxury apartments.

Gipping Homes has exchanged contracts with NHS Suffolk on the purchase of the seafront site and is expected to complete the deal next month, when the sale price can be announced.

The former convalescent home was up for sale for around �600,000.

Gipping Homes will convert the Grade II-starred building in Undercliff Road East into 21 luxury flats, turn the old nurses’ home into seven properties and build three new town houses in a terrace in the grounds.

Work will start next year with the first homes complete by 2014.

Based at Baylham, near Ipswich, Gipping Homes has a reputation for high quality residential developments and won the Archant Residential Development of the Year award in 2010 for a project at Great Finborough.

Peter Blemings, a director of Gipping Homes said: “We are delighted to secure this iconic building for development into high quality residential apartments and houses.

“We recognise the important role this building has had in the history of Felixstowe and are committed to ensuring that development is sympathetic and in keeping with the buildings Grade II-starred listed status.

“The development will include restoring the fabric of the building to its former glory and securing its future for generations to come.

“We will begin working on the site as soon as possible after completion and resolution of outstanding planning issues and we envisage that the building process will create additional local employment and anticipate that the first homes will be ready for occupation in 2014.”