Home of town's 'best' nursery could become student flats

A Leicestershire building that was home to a town's "best" nursery could become accommodation for 31 students. SHM Letting Ltd has applied to Charnwood Borough Council for permission to change the use of the Schofield Centre, in Greenclose Lane in Loughborough, and convert it into 15 student flats.

The council previously gave HSSP Architects approval to change the first floor of the building to five flats, but following advice from planning officers, the applicant withdrew its bid create another five flats on the second floor. Now, SHM Letting wants to build five flats on the ground floor, seven on the first floor and three on the second floor. The new plan for the building also includes a cinema/media room, a gym, communal study area, kitchenette, laundry and games area and bike storage.

For 27 years, the building housed the Small World Nursery, described by parents online as “the best nursery in Loughborough”. The nursery closed in the summer of 2023. It was operated by King’s Church, which also ran a food bank in the basement.

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Under the new plan, the flats would be a mix of 'studios' and ‘cluster’ flats, housing several people. Studio flats are a small apartments in which a single room has a variety of uses, eg living room, bedroom and kitchen, usually with a separate bathroom. A cluster flat is where people have their own private bedrooms, but share communal facilities, such as kitchens and bathrooms.

Documents submitted with the application state that the plans have been “carefully considered” due to the building being locally listed by the council because of its heritage. The 1938 building was an extension to the adjoining Technical College Instructional Factory. It was listed in 2004. At the time, the council described it as “flat roofed extension less distinguished to which ugly rendered 3rd storey added later”.

Planning documents submitted by SHM Letting read: “Our design solution does not involve any extensions to the building and its essential form and functional character will remain apparent post-development, reflecting its local importance in the history of Loughborough. External references to the building's history, such as the brickwork motif over the entrance access facing Ashby Place, the distinctive lintels and recessed brickwork will remain unaltered.”

The documents claim the change of use will “compliment” a previous conversion into student accommodation carried out at the adjoining Technical College building, which was built in 1918. The application documents can be viewed on the council’s planning portal, and comments and objections can be made until Wednesday, December 4.

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