Plans unveiled to transform another Peterborough office block into flats
New plans have been drawn up to convert a prominent Peterborough office block for use as inner-city living.
Construction firm MJS of March is seeking the green light to transform the five-storey office at Churchgate, New Road, into 90 apartments.
The plans for a change of use of the building from commercial to residential have been submitted to Peterborough City Council for approval.
The application states that the proposal would deliver 90 self-contained residential flats within an existing, serviced, city-centre building.
It envisages a mix of apartment sizes from one bed/one person, one bed / 2 person and two / three person apartments.
There would be nine apartments on the ground floor and 23 apartments each on the next three floors and 12 on the fifth floor.
It adds: “The scheme does not increase the building footprint and represents an efficient re-use of existing built floorspace.”
The development would also mean the creation of 95 car parking spaces with three of the current 98 spaces being used for bin storage. There will also be 58 cycle spaces.
A document with the application states: “The proposal delivers meaningful residential accommodation through the re-use of an existing city-centre office building.
"It avoids demolition, avoids expansion of the building footprint and makes efficient use of existing built floorspace, access, parking and infrastructure.
It adds: “The site is well suited to residential use because of its urban location, existing building form, existing parking, proximity to services and lack of immediately adjoining incompatible noisy commercial uses.”
News of the application comes just a week after MJS submitted another planning application to increase the height of another prominent former office block in Peterborough as part of a move to create new living accommodation.
The venture involves building an extra two storeys to Monkstone House in City Road, which was sold to the developer in February after going on the market with a £2.8 million price tag.
It will take the current four storey building up to six storeys and allow for the creation of a total of 65 apartments.
MJS Construction is the company behind the redevelopment of Guild House in Oundle Road and the ongoing redevelopment of Whitworth Mill at Fletton Quays. It has also just purchased the former TK Maxx store in Bridge Street, Peterborough.