Physioactive principal Darrin Neumann approved to have two-storey medical centre built at Thorn St, Ipswich

A home will be demolished to make way for a new two-storey health hub in the heart of Ipswich after an application by a prominent local physiotherapist. SEE THE PLANS

An Ipswich physiotherapist who operates a busy practice in the CBD will see his health service repertoire grow after his application to build a two-storey medical centre was approved by Ipswich City Council.

A single home on a 1214m2 site at 57 Thorn St at Ipswich will be demolished to make way for a new building comprising two separate tenancies and facilities including a gym, a hand therapy room, and a pilates room.

Owner of the site and practice principal of the physiotherapy business located next door, Physioactive, Darrin Neumann signed off on the plans in July last year.

Mr Neumann is well known in the Ipswich area for his expertise, having established his business in 1988. He is also the brother of federal Blair MP Shayne Neumann.

The total floor area of the building will be 959m2, with the ground floor intended to have an area of about 364m2 and the first floor intended to have an area of 595m2.

The ground floor will include a gym area, patient cubicles, two offices, a laundry, the reception desk, a patient toilet, and the lift well to the first floor which will include a further five offices, two consultation pods, a hand therapy room, a pilates room, two toilets, and a shower.

Physioactive co-founder and practice principal Darrin Neumann.

Both tenants will share a foyer but are intended to operate independently. The first tenancy will occupy most of the space across both floors of the building.

Plans stated the medical centre will be built using “high quality and contemporary” materials such as fibre cement sheeting and glass panels.

“A range of colours and finishes will be utilised in the design to improve the visual amenity from both the streetscape and surrounding premises,” the plans read.

A view of the site as it now exists, looking west from Thorn Street.

Vehicle access to the site will be provided via a new crossover to Thorn St.

“It is noted that the development has been designed to ensure that future vehicle and pedestrian connections can be provided to the existing medical centre to the south of the site,” the plans stated.

“The development will be provided with 17 car parking spaces, including two PWD spaces, and an ambulance bay.

“Four of the spaces will be located below Level 1 so as to provide covered parking spaces.”

The development site is adjoined by Darrin Neumann’s physiotherapy business Physioactive and a single home to the south, a residential backyard to the west, and low rise units to the north.

A large ambulance base is located opposite Thorn St to the east.

According to the development plans, the medical centre will operate from 7am to 9pm weekdays and from 8am to 5pm Saturdays.

It will be set back from Thorn St by about 21 metres to allow for the provision of on-site parking.