The new joint venture developers of the former HMS Ganges site have been given permission to include a museum, library, indoor recreation space and cafes to the existing plans.

Babergh has accepted an application to change the description of development under planning permission reference B/12/00500 going back to 18 December 2015, to:

"The full and partial demolition of buildings associated with the redevelopment of the site for uses including: dwellings; a nursing home (Class C2 residential institution); Class E uses (flexible use within Class E such as retail, café, office, gym, clinic, indoor recreation); Class C1 (hotel, boarding and guest houses); Class F.1 (museum, library, exhibition halls); Class F.2 (community use); the use of Nelson Hall to include Class E uses (including co-working, café and indoor recreation) and Class F.2 (community use) and Class F.1 (museum); together with parking and landscaping to form parks and landscaped gardens together with associated further landscaping and lighting (as amended)."

This means in addition to the plans to build 285 homes, developers will have the option to include more village facilities on the site.

This could include a new use for the swimming pool building and Nelson Hall, and the owners plan to hold wider consultation with villagers on what hey would like to see.