News: Plans back in for historic Rotherham building
A new lease of life could be on the cards for a historic building in Rotherham that has been empty for over a decade and wrapped up in a legal battle that resulted in six directors being banned for a total of 54 years.
In 2018, Rothbiz reported that quick progress on converting the historic Howard Building in Rotherham town centre was unlikely after a court injunction was granted that prevents its sale. Liquidators were trying to prove that sham charges related to a number of properties were being used to wrongfully divert funds away from investors. Claims from creditors were in excess of £68m.
A year later, the Insolvency Service concluded an investigation into Absolute Living Developments Limited which sold apartments in England off-plan to investors who were largely based in Asia.
In Rotherham, with little evidence of the conversion of the former college building into twelve, one bed apartments and 60 studio apartments at "Howard Residencies", applicants, AVRO Developments headed into insolvency and the property passed to another connected company.
That company, 2380 REVERSIONS LTD, has now been renamed as Waverley Residencies Limited with the charges satisfied and the directors replaced.
Now early stage plans have been submitted by Manchester-based SH Capital for the Howard Building.
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Through its SH Care brand, the company works in the vulnerable accommodation sector in the UK and works with leading care home providers. A key completed project for the firm was for Rotherham-based Exemplar Health Care and its 40-bed care home, Leger Grove in Doncaster.
In Rotherham town centre, where work related to the previous applications was never carried out, planning permission has lapsed. The plans concentrate on a change of use for part of the lower ground floor and full second floor of the existing building from office use to residential use under permitted development rights.
The plans, drawn up by Robert Potter & Partners, names the development as Waverley Residencies and shows the creation of 23 self-contained apartments on the two floors including: four 1-bed studios, eight 1-bed units, sic 2-bed units, and five 2-bed units.
A small number of disabled parking spaces would be created at the rear and the attached noise report concludes that upgraded glazing is required to windows facing Howard Street.
The noise assessment states that: "the client intends to convert the existing buildings for residential usage with traditional apartments" with the transport assessment adding that a total of 69 apartments could be created in the building.
The Howard Building operated as part of Rotherham College and also housed the council's environmental health teams. It was deemed surplus to requirements and vacated in September 2012 before eventually selling in 2014. The building has an internal area of 42,000 sq ft and included classrooms, offices, common room, library and meeting rooms. Part of the basement floor was used as a nursery.
Although not listed, the prominent art-deco building is well-known to many. It features on South Yorkshire's Local List which states that it opened in 1931 and adds that: "although built primarily of red brick it incorporates probably the most extensive use of Portland Stone of any building in the Town Centre."
SH Care website
Images: Tom Austen
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In 2018, Rothbiz reported that quick progress on converting the historic Howard Building in Rotherham town centre was unlikely after a court injunction was granted that prevents its sale. Liquidators were trying to prove that sham charges related to a number of properties were being used to wrongfully divert funds away from investors. Claims from creditors were in excess of £68m.
A year later, the Insolvency Service concluded an investigation into Absolute Living Developments Limited which sold apartments in England off-plan to investors who were largely based in Asia.
In Rotherham, with little evidence of the conversion of the former college building into twelve, one bed apartments and 60 studio apartments at "Howard Residencies", applicants, AVRO Developments headed into insolvency and the property passed to another connected company.
That company, 2380 REVERSIONS LTD, has now been renamed as Waverley Residencies Limited with the charges satisfied and the directors replaced.
Now early stage plans have been submitted by Manchester-based SH Capital for the Howard Building.
Advertisement
Through its SH Care brand, the company works in the vulnerable accommodation sector in the UK and works with leading care home providers. A key completed project for the firm was for Rotherham-based Exemplar Health Care and its 40-bed care home, Leger Grove in Doncaster.
In Rotherham town centre, where work related to the previous applications was never carried out, planning permission has lapsed. The plans concentrate on a change of use for part of the lower ground floor and full second floor of the existing building from office use to residential use under permitted development rights.
The plans, drawn up by Robert Potter & Partners, names the development as Waverley Residencies and shows the creation of 23 self-contained apartments on the two floors including: four 1-bed studios, eight 1-bed units, sic 2-bed units, and five 2-bed units.
A small number of disabled parking spaces would be created at the rear and the attached noise report concludes that upgraded glazing is required to windows facing Howard Street.
The noise assessment states that: "the client intends to convert the existing buildings for residential usage with traditional apartments" with the transport assessment adding that a total of 69 apartments could be created in the building.
The Howard Building operated as part of Rotherham College and also housed the council's environmental health teams. It was deemed surplus to requirements and vacated in September 2012 before eventually selling in 2014. The building has an internal area of 42,000 sq ft and included classrooms, offices, common room, library and meeting rooms. Part of the basement floor was used as a nursery.
Although not listed, the prominent art-deco building is well-known to many. It features on South Yorkshire's Local List which states that it opened in 1931 and adds that: "although built primarily of red brick it incorporates probably the most extensive use of Portland Stone of any building in the Town Centre."
SH Care website
Images: Tom Austen
