The Blue Cross has revealed detailed plans for a new animal adoption centre and veterinary welfare clinic on Straight Road, Foxhall, as a planning application was submitted to Suffolk Coastal District Council.

Known as The Hollies, the site was identified last year as a possible new location for the charity, being ideally placed to continue helping sick and homeless animals in Felixstowe but also within easy reach of needy pets in Ipswich and the surrounding areas.

Surrounded by fields and woodland, the two-acre site is over four times the size of the current Blue Cross centre in Felixstowe and offers huge potential for the charity to convert disused buildings into dog kennels, cat pens and a large veterinary suite.

Blue Cross centre manager Andrew Gillon said, “We have some ambitious plans to build a flagship Blue Cross centre for Suffolk and it’s really exciting to see them coming together. It’s taken a little while to get to this stage but the planning application is a big step forward in the process. We’ll now work closely with the council to show them what we want to do with the site and demonstrate how it could help so many more pets and owners in this region.”
Plans for the new Blue Cross site include:

• 21 dog kennels and 30 cat pens with a larger, more modern, sound-proof design to provide maximum comfort for Blue Cross animals while they await a new home

• new admissions areas for the thorough assessment of dogs and cats when they arrive

• a new isolation area to prevent the spread of disease, like kennel cough or cat flu

• a new puppy and kitten facility for nursing mothers and their litters
• a modern, fully equipped, full time veterinary facility with operating suite, x-ray facility, mini lab and recovery rooms to cater for greater numbers of sick and injured animals

• the use of a large grassy area around the site for much-needed off-lead exercise for dogs

A decision on the planning application is expected from Suffolk Coastal District Council in mid-October.

Should planning permission be granted, The Blue Cross would purchase the site and launch a major fundraising drive to raise as much money as possible towards the cost of the project. The public have already donated around £60,000 to the ‘Complete the Dream’ appeal to fund the new centre.

Andrew Gillon added, “We’re so grateful for the phenomenal support we’ve had to keep The Blue Cross in Suffolk and all the donations we’ve received so far. We’re now gearing up to launch a major fundraising campaign as soon as we know whether planning permission has been granted and the land has been secured.”
A copy of the planning application will be available to view in due course at www.suffolkcoastal.gov.uk

To find out more, call the Felixstowe centre on 01394 283 254 or keep up to date with the all latest news from the centre on Facebook at www.bluecross.org.uk/felixstowefacebook

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