Plans have been approved for nine flats in an area of Bury St Edmunds that has been undergoing major regeneration.
Jack Stokes had applied for outline planning permission for a new building on a used car site in Tayfen Road - and permission was granted by West Suffolk Council on Tuesday.
The new development would involve the demolition of the existing buildings, which would be replaced with a part three-storey, part four-storey building comprising nine flats, with bin storage, cycle storage and parking for 12 vehicles to the rear.
Speaking from Portugal, Mr Stokes, who is co-owner of the Tayfen Road site, said the plan is to find a developer for the project.
He said: "It's taken us nearly three years to get that planning [permission].
"It's been a struggle because although there's a lot worse looking developments around, early on it got criticised for being monolithic so we have created a lovely design now.
"I'm glad they have passed it, but it was a long road. It seems Tayfen Road is turning into 'flat city'. It's become a residential area."
The planning officer report, which recommended approval, said the proposed building was considered appropriate in terms of character and appearance within the wider context around Tayfen Road, which includes the development on Station Hill, Spring Lane, the Lantern building and the substantial area of redevelopment opposite the site.
Mr Stokes used to run petrol station Tayfen Auto, opposite the development site, from 1972 for 43 years.
He said: "It's saying goodbye to that side of town where we have worked since 1972. I'm sure it will be a lovely development."
He added: "I'm hoping it will be a bit of a swan song for us."
He said he was "very pleased" with the work of Frank Dowling, conservation and design consultant, who created the designs.
The planning officer report said the application had been revised "considerably" since the first version was submitted in January 2021.
The initial proposal included nine flats and four commercial units on the ground floor, but was recommended for refusal as it was considered out of keeping with the character of the area.
A revised air quality assessment was submitted by the agent, which concluded that future occupants would not be exposed to excessive pollutants, and this was accepted by the environment team.
The Bury Society viewed the revised plans as an improvement because the office space had been omitted "and most of the new apartments can now provide some degree of south aspect with natural ventilation".
The urban design officer said the site provided "a significant opportunity to regenerate a key brownfield site and repair the urban edge in a fragmented area of Tayfen Road".
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