Plans to turn former Magpas Air Ambulance building into flats rejected

Plans to convert the former offices of the Magpas Air Ambulance, which serves the region of Peterborough and Cambridgeshire, into flats have been refused by Huntingdonshire District Council.

Plans were submitted by Walnut Tree Holdings Ltd to convert the officers building on St Marys Street in Huntingdon into 14 flats.

Nine of the new flats at Centenary House would have one bedroom and five would have two bedrooms.

The conversion of the building is acceptable under the permitted development guidelines of the planning rules, however, specific aspects of the scheme need to be approved.

Huntingdonshire District Council has refused the plans put forward due to concerns about not all of the flats having enough natural light.

The decision notice stated: “Both Units 005 and 105 are north-facing and due to the 'V' shape of the building are in close proximity to the eastern wing of the building which may unacceptably overshadow Units 005 and 105 causing inadequate levels of natural light to these habitable rooms.

"Without a sunlight/daylight assessment to address these concerns, it is considered that insufficient information has been submitted to enable the Local Planning Authority to fully assess whether the proposal would provide adequate natural light in all habitable rooms of the dwellinghouses.”

Plans to demolish the building and convert it into 30 retirement flats have been refused previously.

Magpas has operated from its new offices in Alconbury Weald since September 2023.