Historic England has said proposals for a three-storey block of flats close to a historic church should be scaled down. 

Last month, Ipswich Borough Council received the application from Landex Ltd for the piece of land in Fore Street, to be turned into 22 flats of different sizes.

The site sits close to Grade II* listed 15th-century church of St Clements and Grade II listed Lord Nelson Pub. 

The proposed development sits next to 15 ce church.The proposed development sits next to 15th-century church. (Image: Charlotte Bond) As a consultee Historic England said that while it does not object to the plan it does not support it in its current form either.

The organisation believes that the shape of the roof and the lack of details about the side facing St Clement's Church could open the door to adverse affects on the church. 

They have asked the applicants to reduce the scale of their plan, re-do the roof line and detail how the building would look on the side of St Clements Lane and how they plan to reduce the impact on it. 

The national body had raised similar concerns when the previous owners of the plot had asked to convert the site into a student accommodation.

Suffolk Highways and Anglian Water have also raised concerns over the plans.Suffolk Highways and Anglian Water have also raised concerns over the plans. (Image: Google Maps)

Suffolk Highways and Anglian Water have also raised concerns over the proposal.

The county council's highways committee wrote to the borough council that the current proposal does not provide enough space for waste collection vehicles to safely access the area.

They wrote that the current plans "would appear to show the waste collection vehicle colliding with the proposed gate".

It also states that there is not enough space for vehicles to turn around on the site. 

Anglian Water meanwhile states that there is an "unacceptable" risk of flooding under the current plans. 

They state that the available sewers across the site cannot take the load of the proposed development and ask for conditions to be added before work is carried through.