Carpet store plan for former Grantham Kontak social club

A former social club which has stood empty for eight years could become a showroom and flats.

A plan has been submitted to South Kesteven District Council to convert the ground floor of the former Kontak building into a carpet showroom with a total of six self-contained flats on all three floors of the building.

The applicant is Jason Kerr who owns the J. Kerr Floors store on Westgate.

In a statement to the council, planning consultant Mike Sibthorpe said: “The retail use in this case would comprise a carpet showroom. The applicant presently operates a carpet showroom at the southern end of Westgate. The nature of the showroom use is such that significant traffic flows to and from the site would not be anticipated. The applicant would be willing for the ground floor use of the building to be restricted to carpet showroom / sales only. This would prevent a change to other retail uses without a further separate grant of planning permission. The conversion of the balance of the ground floor and the upper floors of the building to residential use can be accommodated with minimal changes to the exterior of the building.”

The building was used as a social club by Kontak for about 40 years before it closed in May 2009 because it became too expensive to run.

In 2016, full planning permission was granted for the change of use of the building to a ground floor restaurant, first floor residential accommodation (C3) and a children’s play area – also at first floor level.

Mr Sibthorpe added: “The application proposals in this case comprise two elements; a ground floor retail use and the use of the remainder of the building as six self-contained flats. These would comprise two units at ground floor level, three at first floor level and one at second floor level.

“The building is an attractive building at a prominent entranceway into the town and it is clearly desirable to identify a viable long-term use for the building.”