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Office Outlet and Gym Set For February Demolition - Ipswich Town News

The Office Outlet and Better Gym building on the land Town purchased just over a year ago could be demolished in February ahead of work to install new turnstiles behind the Sir Alf Ramsey Stand.

The Blues have approached Ipswich Borough Council asking whether they require full planning permission in order to carry out the demolition with planning officers assessing the matter. Town have pencilled in February for the demolition.

"Fans will probably see in the next week or so that we will formally announce that we will knock down what is the old Staples [more recently Office Outlet] building and the old gym building that we acquired,” CEO Mark Ashton told iFollow Ipswich last month.

"We bought them around a year ago and we knew what we were buying. We knew that in essence we were buying two brick buildings with tin roofs but under further investigation to convert those into safe fan-led facilities or other usable spaces, we’re going to have to invest substantial money in airflow, health and safety bringing them up to standard.

"The reality is that it’s much more cost effective to knock them down. I think we will car park it in the short to medium term while we work with our owners to look at the set-up and further development of the stadium, but fans will see that coming out in the next few weeks.

"What that does is open up the access and egress to that South Stand, so we can put the turnstiles into the rear of that stand, look at a much better flow for fans getting them in and out of the stadium. It’s more work at Portman Road but it’s important that we build on it.”

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