The wrong type of cricket nets was one of the reasons Hadleigh's Cork Lane development has been delayed by almost two years, costing tax-payers tens of thousands of pounds.

Work was supposed to have started in the summer of 2020 after planning permission was initially given in 2019 to redevelop Babergh's former headquarters into a variety of 57 homes.

However, committee members were told at a planning meeting yesterday morning (Wednesday, February 2, held at Endeavour House, to approve heritage conditions, that delays to the development were caused by not finding the appropriate netter to protect the windows.

Also the initial layout for rooms within the development 'would not work' so more changes were made on plans at the former HQ, which has been mothballed for four years.

During the planning meeting councillor Adrian Osborne, coincidently a cricket umpire, questioned why the project had taken so long to get underway.

"It was tricky business getting the right specification of net to do what it was supposed to do." senior planning officer Mark Russell told the committee. "It was eventually sorted out, I believe back in late 2020."

Fellow committee member Peter Beer asked if councillors had been misled by planning officer with previous answers as to the reasons for the delay, given the right sort of netting had been found as long back as March 2021.

"This is something that has caused us a problem," said Cllr Beer. "If that has already been agreed then why has it taken so long?

"We were told the cricket club had held up the progress of the development - were we misled?"

Mr Russell said: "That was the initial reason for the delay. The subsequent delay has been once works started it was discovered that the rooms did not work where they were and they came back with changes, that's the reason for the delay between 2021 and now."

Following discussions with Hadleigh Cricket Club and the England and Wales Cricket Board, the correct netting was sourced and supplied, to replace the unsuitable tattered and torn former netting.

Ward member Cllr Dawson was not at yesterday's meeting to represent the views of Hadleigh residents for the three heritage applications to the Cork Lane development.

However, councillors approved alterations including adding safety glass windows to those that face the nearby Hadleigh cricket ground, as well as some layout changes, in both the Malthouse and adjoining buildings, which form part of the Corks Lane development.

The Conservative led administration, which included Hadleigh councillor Sian Dawson, voted to take Babergh out of the town and become based in leased offices in Ipswich.

This has led to a loss of income to businesses including car repairs, MOTs and servicing, High Street shops and other services as one the town's largest employers moved out more than 200 potential customers.

The Tories insisted the redevelopment of the district council headquarters would provide a financial windfall with 57 homes being built within the main building, and on the Bridge Street car park, which is vital to make it viable.

However, the building has remained boarded up since September 2017 and no building work started, at a cost estimated to have been more than £500,000.

Planning permission as granted in March 2019, to build one, two, and three-bedroom flats and apartments, as well as a four-bedroom maisonette.

Council chiefs had hoped work would get underway in the summer of 2020, but plans took longer than expected to come to fruition due to the conditions attached to the permission.

Work is now expected to start by the summer of this year, two years after the initial expectation.

• Click here to see the planning committee meeting on YouTube.

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