Plan to turn listed city centre church building into apartments
Plans have been submitted to convert a listed building in Wakefield city centre from a place of worship into apartments.
The scheme involves building self contained flats on the upper floors of the early 19th Century building on Cheapside.
The property is owned by the Still Waters Church, who use the second floor of the building as a place of worship.
The remainder of the building is leased to Dominion Housing and Training.
A planning statement submitted to Wakefield Council said both the church and the business intend to relocate to larger premises “more suitable for both uses.”
The property was recently given Grade II-listed status by Historic England and is within a conservation area.
The building was originally constructed as a woolstaper’s warehouse similar to other properties on Cheapside.
The document said the majority of buildings on the street were converted into offices during the 1950s and “in recent times to residential use with the demise of town centre offices.”
No external changes to the building are proposed and the ground floor would be retained for office use if the scheme is approved by planning officers.
The statement added: “Our submission if reflective of similar conversions nearby and will help maintain the financial viability of the unit and assist in the legal obligations to maintain the listing.
“The use is totally sustainable and consistent with government policy to convert commercial property into housing, particularly in city centre locations.”