News: Residential plans for commercial building in Rotherham town centre
A prominent block of offices in Rotherham town centre could be converted into flats if recently submitted plans are approved.
1-22 Effingham Square went under the hammer back in 2019 and was sold for £1,550,000 by auctioneers, Allsop.
With offices on the first and second floors and with retail units underneath, the parade is located alongside Rotherham Interchange and its shopping centre and is opposite to the Tesco Extra store. Totalling some 20,160 sq ft of lettable space, the property includes an unbroken parade of ten shops.
Now a planning application has been lodged with Rotherham Council that shows that the future for the building is for residential use on the upper floors.
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The plans, from Coventry-based Futurewise Property Developments Ltd, relates to external alterations at first and second floor levels.
Proposals include replacing the existing windows with new glazing and frames and introducing new balconies to the rear of the building facing Water Street and the bus station.
Plans, drawn up by John Box Associates, show 11 flats - one on the first floor and ten on the second floor.
The retail units on the ground floor, and the majority of the space on the first floor, would not be changed under the proposals.
Following the opening of the £40m Tesco development, Effingham Square was given a modest revamp with a redesign of the taxi rank and new public realm works to the pedestrianised area.
The town centre masterplan, which confirmed the need for more housing in the town centre to , considers that there "is still significant improvement which can be made" in Effingham Square which is described as "a very poor space and a wasted opportunity."
The masterplan puts forward that Rotherham Council should lead on a project for Effingham Square so that it will become an "attractive densely planted green oasis in the heart of town," complementing the green space at Minster Gardens.
Transforming grey to green, "proposals for Effingham Square will provide a new setting for the Interchange, greening the current expanse of hard space, providing seating and screening through further tree cover. The delineation of space between the taxi ranks and the public space will also help break the expanse of grey space."
Images: Allsop / John Box / Futurewise
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1-22 Effingham Square went under the hammer back in 2019 and was sold for £1,550,000 by auctioneers, Allsop.
With offices on the first and second floors and with retail units underneath, the parade is located alongside Rotherham Interchange and its shopping centre and is opposite to the Tesco Extra store. Totalling some 20,160 sq ft of lettable space, the property includes an unbroken parade of ten shops.
Now a planning application has been lodged with Rotherham Council that shows that the future for the building is for residential use on the upper floors.
Advertisement
The plans, from Coventry-based Futurewise Property Developments Ltd, relates to external alterations at first and second floor levels.
Proposals include replacing the existing windows with new glazing and frames and introducing new balconies to the rear of the building facing Water Street and the bus station.
Plans, drawn up by John Box Associates, show 11 flats - one on the first floor and ten on the second floor.
The retail units on the ground floor, and the majority of the space on the first floor, would not be changed under the proposals.
The town centre masterplan, which confirmed the need for more housing in the town centre to , considers that there "is still significant improvement which can be made" in Effingham Square which is described as "a very poor space and a wasted opportunity."
The masterplan puts forward that Rotherham Council should lead on a project for Effingham Square so that it will become an "attractive densely planted green oasis in the heart of town," complementing the green space at Minster Gardens.
Transforming grey to green, "proposals for Effingham Square will provide a new setting for the Interchange, greening the current expanse of hard space, providing seating and screening through further tree cover. The delineation of space between the taxi ranks and the public space will also help break the expanse of grey space."
Images: Allsop / John Box / Futurewise
