A bid to force through plans for a number of unsold Warwick offices to be turned into flats has been thrown out.

Faxton Ltd submitted an appeal to the planning inspectorate after Warwick District Council last year refused planning permission for the works at Emscote Old Wharf.

Council planners said at the time the "adverse impacts of the proposal would significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits".

And now a planning inspector has dismissed the appeal, saying the homes would not be of the required standard, and arguing against the loss of employment space.

A council report said: "[The inspector] concluded that it would result in a poor relationship between the internal living spaces and the external environment resulting in a poor outlook and unacceptably constrained and oppressive internal environment for future occupiers."

It added: "Whilst acknowledging that the site may be subject to constraints, including its location within a predominantly residential setting, lack of clear commercial identity, limited access, restricted parking provision and its out-of-town location and modest size, he considered that these factors do not in themselves demonstrate that the premises are no longer viable for employment use."

The scheme would have seen four, two-bedroom flats created at the development which itself was only given planning permission in 2019.

Faxton had submitted a similar scheme for the canalside properties in 2024 only to pull the plans after council planners raised concerns with the designs.

The All Saints Road offices were built alongside nine townhouses next to the Grand Union Canal, after planning permission to demolish a former car wash on the site was granted.

But Faxton said after years of marketing, there have been no takers for the offices, which were each made available for between £220,000 and £250,000.

"In total, we have received eight named specific enquiries for the offices since the properties have been made live," a marketing report submitted to the council said.

"These enquiries have been received throughout the marketing period.

"One of the enquiries was a local agent, two were speculators, two were investors and the remainder were potential owner-occupiers.

"None of these enquiries have resulted in serious interest and we have not received any offers at any level for the offices."

However, the findings of the marketing report were questioned by the planning inspector.

"The evidence in the form of a marketing statement indicated that the office units were marketed between 2022 and 2025 through estate agents and online platforms," the council's report added.

"However, it was unclear whether the units were consistently marketed for both sale and rental over the full two-year period, and whether the pricing strategy reflected market conditions.

"Whilst acknowledging that the site may be subject to constraints, including its location within a predominantly residential setting, lack of clear commercial identity, limited access, restricted parking provision and its out-of-town location and modest size, he considered that these factors do not in themselves demonstrate that the premises are no longer viable for employment use."

See the full application here.