The council is making plans for a new patio garden outside its offices to replace decking that is currently rotten and a "health and safety risk".

The area is to the side of Endeavour House, the primary location of Suffolk County Council near Portman Road stadium in Ipswich.

The retrospective application for the work, which started in October, involves replacing rotten timber decking with new paving slabs.

Next to the café and break space outside the building is an outside decking area for seating which also serves as an emergency escape route.

The area was out of bounds due to health and safety concerns over the condition of the decking. Several areas of wet rot are evident which have resulted in failure of the decking boards and so currently this area is closed.

There is a hedgerow and planting area that is currently poorly maintained and largely barren, as it cannot be accessed.

There are also proposals for new outside seating and fittings, a concrete and timber picnic unit, another picnic unit with accessible seating, concrete planters with seating, along with timber planters, benches and recycling bins

Read more: New £4.5m Ipswich development has been left empty since completion in 2022

The replacement of the decking is essential for health and safety, ensuring the fire escape route to be brought back into use, and would provide a way to "support the mental health and wellbeing" of office staff, according to the application.

A flood risk assessment was also submitted with the plans, as Endeavour House falls within a Flood Zone 2 risk area, with a medium probability of flooding.

However, the building and the planning site are raised by about 0.7m above the highway to reduce any flood risk further and there are thorough emergency plans, and so the risk to workers in the building is considered to be minimal.

An application was made to the council's planning department for the plans and validated on Tuesday (April 9).