New plans have been submitted for a landmark building in a Suffolk town.

After two years of uncertainty, another application has been made to convert the historic Belle Vue House in Sudbury.

A planning application was validated on Monday, July 31, to turn the former council office site into two new homes.

The application outlines a partial demolition, with a new ground floor extension. The plans would sub-divide the building in two to form one five-bedroom and one three-bedroom house.

The property has been vacant since 2016, and since then has “suffered significant decay, water penetration, vandalism and neglect,” according to the documents, putting the building at “substantial” risk.

The application was submitted to Babergh District Council by period property specialists Richard and Ruth McCabe-Abel.

Churchill Retirement Living previously put in plans for a retirement home and sheltered accommodation - including 41 retirement living apartments - in December 2021.

In August last year, McCabe & Abel pulled out of the project just days before councillors were due to vote on whether the project should go ahead, saying it had been unable to agree a deal over the sale of part of the site.

Churchill’s plans still went before the council, before being refused by councillors in September.

Babergh District Council then put the property on the market early this year for developers to submit bids to renovate it.

All bids were considered, and the preferred submission was presented to the cabinet for the final decision, and McCabe & Abel won.

Historically, the development has been divisive among locals. The Belle Vue Action Group has fought the plans, launching a petition and raising more than £4,000 in its efforts to block the sale and revamp.