Amended plans for town centre flats submitted after criticism over a lack of windows

Renewed plans to convert former office space in the town centre into flats will be debated by councillors for a second time this month.

The plans for 43 King Street had been put before planning committee members in April, but a decision was deferred amid criticism that one of the properties didn’t have a bedroom window.

Proposals for the building initially including converting the vacant space into five flats – with three one bedroom flats on the ground floor, along with one two bedroom flat and a one bedroom flat on the first floor.

At last month’s meeting the plans, which had been recommended for approval, were described as “bijou” by planning officer David Williams – who said “It’s very difficult to apply those standards [LPG 21] rigidly to conversion schemes, especially when you’re looking at buildings within the town centre.”

However the were was criticism over the plans in their then current form, with Grosvenor councillor Marc Jones stating that any redevelopment of properties needs to be done in a “way that enhances the town provides good quality accommodation for people to live in”.

Speaking at the time Cllr Jones said: “We shouldn’t be tossing aside guidelines casually and I do think that this gives the appearance that this council is turning a blind eye to permit what I would consider to be substandard accommodation.”

“I wouldn’t want to live in a bedroom with no window, I don’t think that’s good for anybody’s mental health or wellbeing.”

A decision was made by planning committee members to defer approving the plans and requesting the applicants to amend the application.

Amended plans have now been put forward for consideration by the applicant, with the number of flats reduced from five to four.

In the resubmission the applicant says: “All of the bedrooms in each flat now have a window as indeed do all other habitable rooms.

“The second bedroom to flat no.2 faces onto the access between nos. 41 and 43, which is only 2.5m wide. To maximise the amount of daylight the room will receive the window has been enlarged.”

The location of the proposed bin stores has also been amended – with the bins set to be situated at the rear of the site.

The renewed plans have again been recommended for approval by Lawrence Isted, chief officer planning and regulatory.

In his report, Mr Isted said: “Building Control have advised that the amended floor plans are (without prejudice to a formal application for Building Regulations approval) acceptable.

“The location of the proposed bin stores has also been amended. They will now be situated towards the rear of the site, thus addressing the concerns set out in my original report.

“The amended plans will provide future occupiers with an appropriate standard of amenity and as such I am satisfied the proposals accord with the relevant UDP policies.”

The application will be considered for approval at a virtual meeting at 4pm on Monday May 12.