CHANGES have been agreed to a Weymouth town centre building – to create an additional four one-bed flats on the first floor and divide ground floor shop units.

The building already has consent for 14 flats on other floors.

The owner of 104 St Mary Street has also been given permission to create four shop units from the existing three. The previous use was by Animal and InterSport.

The building’s owners, Rugby-based Castle Mound Estates, say there is no longer demand for larger town centre retail units and the smaller units are more likely to be lettable.

A 2018 application agreed the creation of 14 flats on the second, third and fourth floors of the building with the addition of a lift. That work was never completed and the building, which has two frontages, to St Mary Street and St Thomas Street, remains vacant which the owners say will make building work easier.

The 1950s five-storey block lies within the town Conservation Area and close to several listed buildings. No substantial external changes are proposed apart from adding a street level door for access to the flats.

At the time of the 2018 application a planning officer concluded that there were benefits in bringing this building back into use and suggested it would not be appropriate to require an affordable housing contribution on the development.

In recommending the latest changes area planning officer Bob Burden said: “This is an opportunity to provide four modest sized flats in a sustainable town centre location, whilst also retaining the ground floor as retail use. The change from 3 to 4 retail units may also increase the attractiveness of the units to potential users.”

He says that with no major changes to the outside of the building it will also protect the appearance of the street scene.

There were no objections to the proposals from any neighbours or statutory consultees and Weymouth town council raised no objection when it discussed the proposals in February.