Plans have been put forward to convert offices at Signet Court in Cambridge into new studio and one-bedroom flats.
An office block in Cambridge could be converted into flats after a developer argued the offices are “no longer viable”. Plans have been submitted to Cambridge City Council to convert the offices at 18-20 Signet Court, in Swanns Road into 12 new flats.
The developer has asked to convert the building under permitted development rights, which allow offices to be turned into housing without a full planning application being made. A number of criteria still have to be considered under the permitted development rights, including the transport impacts of the development, any potential contamination or flooding risks, noise, and whether all habitable rooms will get adequate natural light.
The developer said their plans for the conversion would create a “high quality residential development in a sustainable edge of city centre location”. They claimed the existing offices are “no longer viable” and said converting them into flats would be an “efficient reuse of a long-standing commercial premises”.
The 12 new flats are proposed to be a mix of one-bedroom flats and studio apartments. The developer said the existing 30 car parking spaces at the office block would be kept and allocated to the proposed flats. They added that a secure bike storage facility is also proposed, which they said would have room for one bike per apartment.
The plans said: “The development would involve only minimal changes to the building, with no external alterations proposed, in order to preserve the character and appearance of the property and ensure it integrates sensitively within the existing surrounding streetscape.
“The proposed apartments would meet the nationally described space standards for a one-bedroom/studio, one person apartment. The application represents sustainable development and brings a vacant unit back into productive use, delivering public benefit without adverse impact.”
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