Flats plan considered for Newark town centre office conversation above Yorkshire Trading Company on Middlegate

Town centre office space could be converted into flats under plans submitted for approval.

If given the go ahead, the plans would see the first floor offices above Yorkshire Trading Company in the Central Buildings on Middlegate, Newark turned into flats.

The application asks if prior approval is needed to convert the offices into a house of multiple occupancy (HMO).

However, the offices would be converted into five self-contained one-bedroom flats connected via a corridor and accessible from a staircase down to street level.

Each flat would have access to daylight with it’s own window and each come equipped with a kitchenette, en-suite toilet and shower room.

Rooms would be roughly equal in floor space, ranging from 14.9sq metres to 17.1sq metres.

The proposal includes no external alterations and limited internal alterations such as the erection of internal walls or blocking up of existing walls and openings.

It’s central location puts constraints on what can be done with the building because it is within the Newark Conservation Area.

A report from Environmental Health considered the submitted plans and determined that as there would be no sharing of amenities between residents and each unit of accommodation would be self-contained, the proposal would not meet the Housing Act 2004 definition of a HMO and the relevant regulations would not apply.

The report also stated that any conversion works would be subject to a building regulations application and each unit of accommodation would need to meet these standards both in terms of the conversion works and any necessary fire safety provision.

Newark Town Council’s planning committee met to assess the application.

While planning committee members spoke in favour of creating town centre accommodation, councillors agreed with the comments made by Environmental Health and agreed to insist that the applicant must make a full application.