Exciting new facilities for children and young people are coming to Jetty Lane, Woodbridge!
Here are quite a few FAQs about our new plans, keep scrolling down!
Q. Tell me about your new Planning Application?
A. We are excited to inform you that in July 2024, Jetty Lane CIO submitted a new Full Planning Application (following a successful Pre-Planning Application) to East Suffolk Council.
It is reference: DC/24/1650/FUL Demolition/Removal of existing temporary buildings. Construction of 2 no. Two storey buildings - Youth Hub and Children's Nursery, Landscaping (including playscape), parking, access road. Jetty Lane The Avenue Woodbridge Suffolk IP12 4BA
You can view the planning application via the Council Public Access system.
There are dozens of documents relating to this application, all available by following the links on the Planning Portal.
The plans involve building a new Youth Hub: a modern, purpose-built, accessible building which will include a permanent home for youth and children’s work charity Just42, a permanent home for the Vintage Litter Museum and a good-sized Hall which will be available for local groups to hire by the session. There will also be a double-height Foyer suitable for a variety of pop-up events and potentially a Meeting Room available for hire too. Outside there will be a publicly accessible Playscape which will be specially designed to meet the needs of neurodivergent children and their families as well.
There will also be a separate ChildBase nursery providing early years care and education on the same site.
This exciting new arrangement is unique in this area, in that it brings together charitable (Jetty Lane CIO), private (Childbase Partnership), and public services (Suffolk County Council) to deliver the best outcomes for children and young people at this important town centre site in Woodbridge.
Q. Do you have Planning Permission?
A. We are waiting for a decision. This is due by 30th September 2024.
Q. Hmm, just wondering, could Jetty Lane be ousted by ChildBase or another private company?
A. No, this cannot happen. The site is owned by Suffolk County Council and Jetty Lane CIO has a legally binding Head Lease from the Council for 125 years.
Q. Tell me more about the arrangement with ChildBase?
A. ChildBase is funding the whole project, the construction of the Nursery and the Youth Hub and in return is being granted a Lease by Jetty Lane. There is absolutely no threat to the Youth Hub at all.
The Trustees of Jetty Lane sensibly wish to take advantage of the unique opportunity which will be provided by ChildBase Partnership. This will ensure that the construction of the Youth Hub and Nursery will go ahead in the near future.
Q. How will the Lease work?
A. Jetty Lane CIO holds the Head Lease for the site. All other organisations there (ChildBase, Just42 and Vintage Litter Museum ) will have Tenancies with Jetty Lane CIO, not with Suffolk County Council.
Q. So this is a mutually beneficial arrangement?
A. Absolutely! As well as the legal and financial arrangements, we see there being a synergy between Jetty Lane, ChildBase, Just42 and the Vintage Litter Museum because we are all working to provide much-needed facilities for the benefit of children and young people in this area. We are excited to think of the potential for future collaboration.
Q. Have ChildBase formed successful partnerships before?
A. Yes, including with the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Aylesbury, Dacorum Borough Council in Hertfordshire, Cambridge University, Bedfordshire County Council in Leighton Buzzard, Kettering General Hospital, Southampton University in Winchester, Northampton General Hospital, to name but a few. They are all public private partnerships set up over the last 35 years. All still operating for the benefit of the community.
Q. ChildBase sounds like a progressive company?
A. ChildBase is an employee owned business. It does not have shareholders and is not funded by private equity or other investors. It works for the benefit of its staff and the community in which it operates.
Q. When will construction start?
A. Once Planning Permission is agreed, there will be various conditions to comply with, and practical matters to organise, then it will be full steam ahead. Construction could start as soon as spring 2025.
Q. And when will it finish?
A. It’s too early to say as yet, but buildings of this size usually take about 18 months - 2 years to complete.
Q. What will be in the new Youth Hub?
A. There will be a large, double-height Foyer, a good-sized Hall (divisible in two) for community use, a Meeting Room and 2 Office/Museum spaces upstairs.
Q. Who will the Key Tenants at Jetty Lane be?
A. There will be 3 Key Tenants: Youth and children’s work charity Just42 | The Vintage Litter Museum ChildBase Nurseries Ltd
Q. Who will be able to hire the Hall and Meeting Room and how much will this cost?
A. The Hall and Meeting Room will be suitable for hire by high-quality groups who run activities with or for children and young people, including multi-generational groups.
Morning, Afternoon and Evening Sessions will be available 7 days per week at an affordable hire rate.
Q. What will happen in the Foyer?
A. The Foyer will be suitable for hire for pop-up events and exhibitions, and also for informal meet-ups.
Q. What is Jetty Lane?
A. Jetty Lane CIO is a Registered Charity Number 1184713, based in Woodbridge, Suffolk.
Q. What is Jetty Lane’s Mission?
A. To reinstate and extend the lost youth facility in Woodbridge, Suffolk by building a new Youth Hub with an outdoor Playscape.
Q. How long has Jetty Lane been around?
A. Thanks to the prompt and decisive action of our Founder Chair, County Councillor Caroline Page, Jetty Lane was set up in 2017 immediately following the demolition of the Youth Centre which had been at the Jetty Lane site since the 1950s.
Q. What is Jetty Lane’s Vision?
A. To promote social and cultural connectedness to bring our community together via arts, culture and wellbeing activities.
Q. What are Jetty Lane’s Values?
To nurture creativity, cultural and artistic growth and wellbeing, and promote entrepreneurial activity.
To be run by and for the people of Woodbridge and the surrounding area.
To put community first.
To be collaborative.
To be open-minded.
To be forward-thinking.
To celebrate participation and activity.
To be intergenerational.
To be inclusive and equal.
To be a learning and reflective organisation.
To be apolitical and not aligned to any particular religion.
Q. Who runs Jetty Lane?
A. Jetty Lane is run by a Trustee Board (currently of 5), assisted by Consultees and Volunteers
Q. Do you get paid?
A. No, we are all Volunteers. The only people who get paid are carrying out essential professional services eg solicitors.
Q. How is Jetty Lane funded?
A. We are funded by individual donations and grants.
Q. Will you have enough income to maintain the building and site properly?
A. We will receive regular rental income from Key Tenants and Hirers, with the potential to fundraise as well for specific projects.
Q. What will you do with the blue containers?
A. Not sure yet. We were given the two blue containers by business-man Eric Reynolds of Woodbridge Boatyard and we have renovated them since then, so we will probably want to recoup the money we have spent on them.
Q. Will the Youth Hub be suitable for the site and will it be accessible?
A. Jetty Lane seeks to provide young people with equal access to the natural environment and cultural significance of the local area. The Hub will be a modern, purpose-built facility with level floors, wide doorways and lit by natural light. It will be compliant with all current building regulations.
The building’s character and appearance respond to the vernacular maritime structures along the Suffolk coast, with many examples along riverside and coastal locations. It is derived from the rationality and simplicity of black fishing huts as well as other modestly constructed structures in the region.
The introduction of refined detailing, new materials and new technologies will give the buildings a more contemporary interpretation of the vernacular rather than a replication. This is important for a forward-thinking charity.
Q. Will there be a lift?
A. Yes, it is a two-story building and there will be a lift and stairs.
Q. Will there be anywhere to leave my pushchair / pram / buggy?
A. Yes, there will be a designated covered area at the entrance where these can be left.
Q. What about toilets?
A. There will be accessible toilets both upstairs and downstairs.
Q. What about Wi-fi?
A. There will be free Wi-Fi throughout the building.
Q. Can I get to Jetty Lane by train?
A. Yes, Woodbridge Station is just a few minutes walk from Jetty Lane and is on the Ipswich - Lowestoft line.
Q. Can I get to Jetty Lane by bus?
A. Bus routes 64, 65, 70 and 71 stop near Jetty Lane.
Q. Will there be a charging point for my electric car?
A. There will be a dedicated charging point for electric cars at Jetty Lane and they are also available in the adjacent municipal car park.
Q. Will the buildings have clear signage?
A. Yes, more details to follow.
Q. What about lighting?
A. We are aware that certain types of lights can cause migraines and epileptic seizures so these will be avoided. And we will install wildlife-friendly outdoor lighting.
Q. What construction method and materials will you use?
A. Our preference is to use sustainable and environmentally sensitive construction methods and materials. More details to follow.
Q. Who will you employ to do the build?
A. Jetty Lane will not be in charge of construction. ChildBase will be funding and organising the build.
Q. You have a scale model of the proposed design, don’t you?
A. Yes, and we would like to thank Stowe Building Contractors who have made a beautiful scale model which is on display at The Pod, Jetty Lane. Drop-in any Saturday 10am - 1pm to view.
Q. You believe in using local expertise then?
A. Yes, and the architect is Scott Mortimer who is based in Woodbridge.
Q. Will you have solar panels?
A. Yes, that is the current plan.
Q. What about the existing trees?
A. They will all be retained. The position of the Youth Hub has been determined so that it does not interfere with the root structure of the avenue of beech trees by the road.
Q. What about the wildlife on site?
A. We’re lucky to have Jason Alexander as a Key Tenant - he is Wildlife Gadget Man and has already offered his expertise in using technology to benefit wildlife.
Our neighbours at Deben View are doing a wonderful job of rewilding their large garden and so we’re hoping to form part of a wildlife corridor with them.
Once construction is complete we’ll be asking our friends at Transition Woodbridge and Suffolk Wildlife Trust for advice on landscaping the site in a wildlife-friendly way. We plan to plant hedges, trees and install bat boxes, swift boxes and bug hotels.
Q. How will the buildings be heated and cooled?
A. This is yet to be determined, more details to follow.
Q. The site gets a lot of sun, will there be any shade?
A. Existing trees and the new trees we will plant will provide shade. But this is a sunny site, so consideration will be given to other forms of shading, more details to follow.
Q. Recycling?
A. Recycling is very much part of our sustainable ethos, in evidence from the recycled shipping containers we have been using as The Pod and the Vintage Litter Museum in the last few years.
We will develop a full policy on recycling so more details will follow.
Q. Waste?
A. Cutting down on waste and careful waste disposal is very much part of our sustainable ethos. We will develop a policy on waste management, so more details will follow.
Q. I thought you were going to have a Playscape?
A. Yes, we have a solid commitment to build an outdoor Playscape on site.
It will be an accessible, multi-functional area, which will serve as an inspirational cultural asset for young and neurodivergent children for more than 50 years.
Q. What is a Playscape?
A. Woodbridge has Playgrounds but it does not yet have a Playscape. A Playscape is different to a traditional Playground because it is set into, and part of, a natural environment. It provides opportunities for free, unstructured play and stimulates the imagination. It is a place that relies on and develops children’s creative play instincts, encouraging both shared and lone learning experiences, supports physical play, social bonding, risk taking and discovery of the natural world while learning about environmental stewardship.
Q. How will you fund the Playscape?
A. How will you fund the Playscape?
We will probably look for individual donations and Crowdfunding to fund construction of the Playscape at the same time as the site is being landscaped.
Q. Where will it be?
A. It will be outside the front of the nursery and the Youth Hub. (The nursery will have privately accessible outdoor spaces of its own.)
Q. Who can use it?
A. The Playscape will be specially designed for young and neurodivergent children and their adults to enjoy.
Q. Why do we need a Playscape?
A. Our findings from the previous Creative Play project show that families of neurodivergent children have extremely limited opportunities to engage in activities in our area, citing a need for more neurodivergent friendly spaces. We have worked with Public Programme Manager Lucy Keany and Consultant Justine de Mierre to put inclusivity and the Social Model of Disability at the heart of the Playscape design. To ensure that neurodivergent children and those with complex support needs enjoy the Playscape, we will include elements to support sensory differences.
Q. Tell me about the design?
A. We have already established the following design criteria:
The Playscape will be constructed mainly from hardwood in abstract shapes
It is expected to last for 50 years
The area will have hedging fencing all around it, with two or more gates in it
There will be a seating and storage area inside the Playscape
It will be no higher than the buildings around it
There will be pathways around the Playscape so that people, including wheelchair users, can easily move from the East Suffolk car park to the entrance of Deben View.
The Playscape will be designed according to RoSPA BS EN 1176, the British and European Standard for playground equipment and surfacing. Tell me about the design?
Q. Will it be free to use?
A. Yes, it will be free to use most of the time and locked at night.
Q. Will there be special events for children?
A. As a new hub for outdoor arts, the flexible design will be able to support a varied programme through the inclusion of structures with overhead rigging points and fixtures for a variety of applications e.g. workshops/performances/events.
Q. It all sounds exciting!
A. If you would like to keep up to date with developments, why not sign up to receive our MailChimp newsletter?
To do so, go to the Home Page of our website www.jettylane.org and click on the yellow Subscribe to our Newsletter button at the very top of the page.