A new student hall of residence with 177 flats could be built on land beside Tye Road near the University of Suffolk if planners give it the go-ahead.

The application has been made by Norwich-based developers Jaevee and the hall would be built in a six-storey block behind a 16--flat block that is already under construction fronting Duke Street.

The brownfield site is allocated for residential use in the local plan and the applicants say this proposal would provide high-quality housing for students at the University of Suffolk.

There are buildings four to five-storeys high nearby and they say it will be an important additional facility for the university and its students.

An earlier planning application for 44 flats on the site had been approved in 2017 but had never been followed through.

The new application would see 177 rooms built around flats for between five and seven students with shared kitchen and living facilities.

Brocklehurst Architects, who have made the bid on behalf of Jaevee, say in their application: "The proposed development creates much needed, high quality student accommodation in a sustainable location already approved for residential use.

The development makes use of a vacant brownfield site, in a very sustainable location that helps support planned growth of the Waterfront area."

However local residents are concerned by the scale of the development - it is larger than previously proposed.

David Blair lives in a flat on the other side of Tye Road and said he had not had a formal notification of the proposals.

He said: "Some of the people at the top end of the road have had letters but the only way we know about this is with a small notice on the opposite side of the road.

"The homes here are in blocks that are about three storeys tall and this will be six storeys high.

"It will cut out all the light that comes into my flat and others nearby - we have until the end of this month to object but I don't know how many people know about this."