An appeal has been lodged to overturn a decision against creating a nine-bed house share, which received nearly 100 responses.

A proposal was submitted to Ipswich Borough Council in July, which suggested that a six-bed house in Colchester Road, a short distance from Ipswich Hospital, could become a house of multiple occupation (HMO) with nine bedrooms.

The plans have attracted much debate amongst neighbours with 98 letters and comments submitted to the council regarding the application.

The council refused the development over the lack of parking spaces during a meeting in September. 

However, the applicant Alex Robertson along with agent Drawing Inc Ltd have now appealed this decision. 

The borough council had said that the plans included four parking spaces instead of the five that they wanted to see. 

Drawing Inc's appeal states that they had consulted Suffolk County Council, which looks after roads, to ensure that the number of parking provisions was acceptable. 

They had also made space for two-wheel parking, EV charging points, and cycle storage. 

"We appreciate that parking on Colchester Road is not an option and we have at no point suggested this, albeit that many of the residents do use wide grass verges for parking out of hours," their statement said. 

"Our client would have happily accepted a condition on the decision to limit the tenants of the building in terms of not being able to apply for parking permits as this could be easily accommodated within the tenancy agreements."

The statement added that there are also several bus routes in the area which they believe act as alternatives for their occupiers to use. 

At the time of refusal, the council stated: “Whilst Suffolk County Council Highways has not objected on ground of highway safety, Colchester Road is a very busy road and the potential need to manoeuvre up to four vehicles on and off a site where double parking would be necessary to accommodate those vehicles is not considered acceptable.”