The decision on whether to give permission to build a 70-bed care home on the site of a former Ipswich garden centre has been put off again.

Ipswich Council was set to decide on the proposals to redevelop the Victoria Nurseries site into a care home on Wednesday.

However, Suffolk County Council's highways department has not yet sent a formal consultation response on the revised plans. 

Borough planning officers had said the application should be approved - provided the highways department had no objection.

After the plans for a 70-bed care home in Kettlebaston Way were submitted for a third time, the county council put a holding objection to the scheme last November.

The authority said that transport infrastructure in the area should be improved for the plans to be given the green light.

Applicants First Care Home approached the county with extra information regarding their plans such as improving the local bus stop, and cycle infrastructure and contributing £11,500 to Suffolk Highways for a Traffic Regulation Order.

A spokesperson from the county said: "We have been working with the developer and relevant consultants to address the issues raised within it.

"It is anticipated that we will be re-consulted with once additional information has been submitted for consideration, at which point we will review and re-evaluate our position."

However, its holding objection remained, and because of this the borough was unable to give a decision on the plans.

Ipswich has deferred its decision until the county council has a response to the plans. 

This proposal was previously refused in March 2022 after being deemed "not appropriate to the character of the area" and that its 30 parking spaces were inadequate. 

After an appeal, the inspector did not object to the character but said that it required 88 parking spaces - to which the applicants said it expected only 28 people on the property at one time, hence increasing the parking provision to 35. 

Highways said that these parking spaces are in accordance with its guidelines if there are enough provisions for public transport in the area.