Former crown court building sold by town council

The former Ipswich Crown Court building has been sold for "the long-term benefit" of the town centre.

Ipswich Borough Council listed the site on Civic Drive on the open market for an undisclosed price in January, having acquired the freehold in January 2014.

The three-storey structure boasts 21,000 sq ft of space across its basement, ground and first floors but has sat empty since 2023.

But it may soon be given a new lease of life after "sale agreed" signs appeared on the outside of the property opposite the New Wolsey Theatre.

The building, which has 22 car parking spaces and a series of former custody cells, was built in the 1960s as part of the Civic Centre Complex development.

It served as the county's flagship crown court until 2004, when the new crown court opened on Russell Road in the town.

After being taken on by the council, it was used by a charity for several years, before eventually being shut down three years ago.

Homeless people subsequently began using the canopy to sleep under after the building was left unused.

It remains unknown what the building might now be be used for, but the BBC understands the structure has a Class F1 classification.

This means it could be used as a school, museum, gallery, library, hall, place of worship, church hall, court, training centre or for non-residential education.

For anything else, the new owners would need to get planning permission for change of use.

Neil MacDonald, the leader of the council, previously said the sale would "lead to this site being of long-term benefit to the town centre".

"Ensuring there is ongoing use of the former crown court supports our vision for a thriving town centre," he said.

"By marketing the site for sale, we can ensure all options are considered that will lead to this site being of long-term benefit to the town centre."

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