Major changes planned for Frankie & Benny's site in Ipswich

Ipswich Borough Council has received outline proposed changes to both the parking and the buildings in Edith Cook Way in Ipswich.

The site, situated in Ravenswood, was most recently home to Frankie & Benny's and Chiquito, until they closed in August last year.

This news came as a blow to people in the town, with new buyers taking over the site in September.

The plans would turn both buildings into drive-thrus (Image: Tom Cann)

Now, plans have been submitted to alter the two existing buildings, both so that they incorporate a drive-thru lane.

Both will still be eat-in restaurants, with the Frankie & Benny's building reducing slightly in size to accommodate both drive-thru lanes.

As well as this, changes have been proposed to the parking at the site.

This is to provide 20 electric parking bays, with 10 charging stations, with charging times on average of between 20 to 30 minutes.

These would be stationed around the outside of the car park, and would change the parking layout from 95 bays, to 20 electric parking bays, and 47 normal parking bays.

The site has been vacant since both restaurants closed in August (Image: Tom Cann)

There would also be five disabled parking spaces available.

BP Pulse, the applicant behind the plans, stated that the proposal "responds to and aligns fully with government announcements" and the drive-thru options provide an "agile response for people waiting to undertake the charging process".

They also stated that whilst there would be a reduction in the total number of parking spaces on the site, this would be outweighed by the "significant sustainability benefits of the scheme."

It is unknown if there are brands or cuisines in mind for the two restaurant buildings.

Ipswich Borough Council will discuss the plans in due course.