The sale of the final plots of land at an Ipswich industrial park has been agreed despite a councillor squabble.

On Tuesday evening, Ipswich Borough Council leader Neil MacDonald put forward proposals during an executive meeting to sell off plots 20 and 22, the last remaining at Eastern Gateway Ipswich.

The overall 130-acre industrial park site, in Sproughton Road, was bought by the council in 2014 after it was left behind by the former sugar beet factory and acquired special Enterprise Zone (EZ) status in 2016.

Mr MacDonald said investment from companies such as Trebor Developments and Hillwood on the site was "a great vote of confidence in the Ipswich economy".

He added: “I think it’s one of the best things we have done, we have taken a vacant site that nobody would look at and converted it into an employment area which employs hundreds of people on the edge of town.”

Ian Fisher was opposed to the plansIan Fisher was opposed to the plans (Image: Ipswich Borough Council)

There was some disagreement, however, with opposition leader, councillor Ian Fisher, arguing the site should have been used to turn a profit for the council.

He suggested the land could have been sold for more and suggested the council was conducting a "fire sale to get rid of as many things as we can to get in cash".

“It’s a missed opportunity as far as I’m concerned,” he added.

The identity of the buyer, as well as the price tag on the deal, have been kept confidential but Mr Fisher suggested the new company would make a ‘six-figure, nearly seven-figure profit’ which could have benefited the council.

Addressing this, Mr MacDonald said: “We were an enabler here and we have enabled a derelict site that needed a lot of remediation and that no developer could afford to make a profit on.

“It has allowed businesses to come here and create jobs and creating jobs was the main aim of what we were trying to do, rather than making a profit.”

The council estimates 900 jobs will be created as a result of the developments - these include jobs created through the Amazon and LDH La Doria sales.

Councillor John Cook added:  “There are people who can put food on the table who otherwise wouldn’t be able to because this council made a decision which [Mr Fisher’s] forebearers in the Tory Party didn’t believe should happen.”

The sale was agreed with Mr Fisher voting against the proposals.