Fresh bid to turn unsold Warwick canalside offices into flats refused
Council planners have refused permission for a number of unsold Warwick offices to be turned into flats.
Faxton Ltd had applied for planning permission to convert the four new offices at Emscote Old Wharf into homes after the units have remained vacant since being built.
The scheme would have seen four, two-bedroom flats created at the development which itself was only given planning permission in 2019.
But throwing out the application to repurpose the offices, a council report said: "When considering the development as a whole, within the planning balance, the adverse impacts of the proposal would significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits."
Faxton had submitted a similar scheme for the canalside properties last year only to pull the plans after council planners raised concerns with the designs.
The latest application said it has addressed these issues.
"The previous application was withdrawn in 2024 following feedback from the case officer regarding residential amenity," the application explained.
"This revised submission has sought to address these issues and provide further clarification of matters previously raised."
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 the company 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."
The report continued: "Through the course of the application an updated statement has been submitted which states that the offices were marketed for both rent/sale.
"This is corroborated by both advertisement on Rightmove and Peter Clarke & Co LLP.
"However, given that this matter has been raised twice and the marketing statement subsequently changed, officers consider that it remains ambiguous whether the units were suitably marketed in line with market conditions for such use for a period of two years, as per the policy requirements.
"The planning statement sets out the that marketing began to sell both the residential and commercial properties off-plan from early 2022, therefore the offices have been for sale for two years.
"I therefore consider that insufficient evidence has been provided to demonstrate that opportunities to sell or let the property have been fully explored."
See the full application here.
Share:
