The Jetty Lane Youth and Arts Centre is set to be approved by Suffolk Coastal District Council when it goes in front of the planning committee next week.

The project, which would see a two-and-a-half storey community centre with offices, art studios and hall space, could be given the go ahead on Thursday if councillors agree with a recommendation to pass the plans.

Jetty Lane CIC, which is behind the project, was offered a 125-year lease on the land with a peppercorn rent at Jetty Lane by Suffolk County Council in December 2017 after the previous youth centre was shut down due to safety concerns.

The land is currently occupied by youth group Just 42 which has been working out of a mobile building on the site for over a year.

Since then the group has been busy fundraising for the project and drawing up designs for the proposed building.

Suffolk Coastal received 62 letters of support for the proposal with residents praising the design, accessibility and location of the project as well as recognising the need for a community facility.

The council also received 21 letters, including two petitions, objecting to the plans with concerns over increased traffic, noise disturbance and light pollution among those stated.

Despite these reservations the council has been recommended to approve the plans subject to it being started within three years of permission of being granted and a number of technical conditions being met.

Project manager Cordelia Richman said the group was looking forward to talking about the project at the meeting and were hoping for a good outcome.

She said: “It has been a long process and of course we are delighted that the planning officer is looking favourably on the application but we are not taking anything for granted.

“We are going to make sure we are properly prepared for the planning committee meeting next week. We are going to be speaking at the meeting.

“We know that we have lots of supporters that are wishing us all the best.

“We are hoping that we will be celebrating on Thursday.”

Ms Richman said that the next step for the group if it achieved planning permission would be to work on becoming a charity, a process that it was already looking at.