City centre offices being eyed up for flats

A block of Leicester offices could be turned into homes. The building, in Eldon Street, off Lee Circle, could be converted into 18 flats after an application for the plan was submitted to Leicester City Council.

Very little detail is given by the applicant about the scheme in the documents uploaded online by the council. However, drawings suggest the 18 apartments would all be one-beds with a combined kitchen and living area in each.

Three of the homes would be on the ground floor of the building. There would then be five flats on each of the first, second and third floors.

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The application is a notification of change of use, rather than a full planning application. A change of use application is required when an applicant wants to use a building for a purpose which falls into a different planning class than is currently permitted – in this case, offices to residential use.

One objection has been filed against the scheme so far, claiming there are already too many small flats in the area. The person, listed only as 'a neighbour' on the council website, said: “There are more and more buildings in our neighbourhood for small, self-contained flats.

“To be liveable, an area needs diversity and this new application will reduce diversity by adding more flats and reducing commercial/business. Sensible planning should ensure a proper balance between the uses of buildings in one area.

“At the moment, this Lee Circle area is getting overwhelmed with self-contained flats. Another one [should] not be allowed.”

A consultation on the proposed new use of the building is under way and will run until Saturday, April 20. Planning officers have set a target decision deadline of Monday, May 20.