A Swedish consumer banking company will be moving into the site of an iconic former Ipswich nightclub.

Handelsbanken will be relocating from its current offices in Grafton House to The Maltings on Princes Street on a ten-year lease.

The consumer banking company will be letting a space which occupies three floors of The Maltings, known as The Kiln - a refurbished suite of 2,977 sq ft.

Handelsbanken's Ipswich branch manager Martin Fish said: "We are delighted to have secured this fantastic new office space. 

"This is a significant investment, which will house a much larger Handelsbanken team on one premium site, allowing us to better serve our customer base.

"We were attracted by the quality and sustainable aspects of The Maltings and the location, which is close to the railway station and has excellent parking options.

"We look forward to being able to welcome customers to our new premises in due course."

The building is an iconic 200-year-old Grade II listed building and was formerly the town's Hollywood nightclub.

It underwent a multi-million pound conversion to premium business premises and opened its doors in July 2019.

The new warehouse-style office space at The Maltings won an Award of Distinction from the Ipswich Society following its refurbishment to feature exposed brick walls, beams and original columns.

Handelsbanken describes themselves as a "local relationship bank built on satisfied customers, financial strength and sustainable values."

The bank operates an extensive network of more than 160 branches across England, Scotland and Wales, offering personal and corporate banking, as well as wealth management services.

The Swedish company will be joining a number of insurance companies, a planning consultant, Network Rail and a financial services company in The Maltings.

Robin Cousins, associate at Penn Commercial, said: "The relocation of Handelsbanken is an encouraging and ambitious move, which really adds to the mix of high-quality tenants in such a prominent building in our town centre.

"Transactions such as this serve to show that there is still a market for inspirational, well-curated office space in the post-Covid world."