Development on site of former Victorian hospital sells out

- 24 Aug 21

Construction work has come to an end at a landmark Bovis Homes development in Ipswich, where all the new homes have now been sold. Ribbans Park, off Foxhall Road, has delivered 227 new homes on the former site of St Clements Hospital. The development, where construction work began in 2015, is named as a tribute to the local architect WR Ribbans, who designed the hospital, built between 1866 and 1870 to serve the local area. Alongside 179 new-build homes at Ribbans Park provided by Bovis Homes, the main buildings of the hospital, which closed in 2002, were restored and converted into 48 apartments and townhouses by Landswood Developers, called Belgrove Place. Jason Colmer, sales and marketing director of Bovis Homes Eastern, said: “Ribbans Park has transformed a disused but historic site into an attractive new neighbourhood, as well as helping to address the shortage of housing in the local area. “The fact that there was a high level of interest in the homes on the site right from the start showed that we were delivering much-needed housing. “The painstaking and careful restoration of the main buildings of the hospital to create the Belgrove Place area of the development proved very popular with homebuyers. “This attention to detail and sympathetic link to the past was carried through to the homes within the wider development which was named after the architect who designed the original Victorian buildings.” The site as a whole has provided a range of two, three, four and five-bedroom homes, alongside new sports facilities. Bovis Homes also retained the bowling green and the sports club on the site as well as providing access to the neighbouring nine-hole St Clements Golf Club, which was created in 1969 for NHS employees. Jason said: “The wide range of properties at Ribbans Park saw us sell to first-time buyers, people down-sizing and growing families. This diversity has helped create an interesting and thriving community on the eastern side of Ipswich.” Although the development at Ribbans Park is now complete, Bovis Homes is also building new homes in Suffolk at Grange Park in Thurston. For more information, go to www.bovishomes.co.uk.