Plans to convert Thorney office into ten new flats rejected

Plans for a new development of ten flats in Thorney, in place of an office building, have been rejected.

Plans were submitted to demolish Peacock House on Station Road in September last year.

Owners Blacklock & Tordoff Holdings Ltd said that the continued use of the site as offices was unsustainable and that it has no choice but to diversify as 60 percent of the office space was underused.

The application also stated that the plans has been created “due to the complete lack of interest in renting of the offices and the industrial space to the rear.”

Planning officers took issue with that claim, however, arguing that the proposal would result in a loss of employment of use with no evidence that the building was marketed for at least six months.

They also stated that they had not received sufficient evidence that to confirm the use of the site for the current employment uses or any alternative employment use is unviable.

Noise issues, inadequate access to the site and the loss of approximately 76 car parking spaces also led to planners to reject the application.

The application can be viewed on the city council’s planning portal using reference 22/01048/OUT.