Plans to convert part of former Holbeach bank into two-bedroom apartment
A developer has shown a high rate of interest in converting part of a former bank into a two-bedroom apartment.
Applicant Rutland Country Properties has lodged a request to make alterations and add a roof extension to the property at West End in Holbeach, in what appears to be a bid to encourage use of the empty office building.
It is currently vacant but available to rent for £833 per month - £10,000 per year.
“Unfortunately, the commercial property has been up for let for several months with interest but unfortunately no takers, mainly due to the size and layout of the building,” the planning, design and access statement prepared by agent GR Merchant said.
The applicant hopes that reducing the ground floor office space and using part of the property as accommodation will be a more viable use of space.
“Since the previous tenants left there has been no one interested in taking on the tenancy for the building,” the statement added.
“Therefore, it is proposed to split the area up to access the first floor separate and convert and extend to a two-bedroom apartment, which is the same for the majority of the buildings along High Street, West Street and Church Street.
“The layout of the proposed two-bedroom apartment will allow the living accommodation within the existing first floor element of the building with access to two bedrooms and a bathroom on the second floor.
“The second floor extension will be a roof extension with dormers and a standing seam roof.
“The first floor kitchen / dining area will open up to flat roof of the existing premises.
Find out about planning applications that affect you at the Public Notice Portal
“The ground floor commercial until will be reduced in size and the introduction of a kitchen and ground floor toilet will be beneficially for the renting of the offices.”
The statement also pointed to the ‘out of character’ first floor extension, built around the 1960s, is ‘out of sorts with the major historic road junction in Holbeach, which is in the conservation area’.
“The new proposal seeks to improve the poor quality of the utilitarian existing first floor square box appearance onto a former bank, which was heavily criticised by Anderson and Glenn conservation architects which South Holland District Council commissioned 2009 Holbeach Conservation Appraisal, this comment,” it added.
Those comments by Anderson and Glenn labelled the building ‘pompous’ and argued an original two-storey property would have served the structure better.