Apartments proposed for town centre office building

Proposals to convert town centre office building, National House on Wellington Road, into 32 apartments have been revealed.

A £2 million change-of-use renovation will see the three-storey building bring 19,000 sq ft of residential space, with apartments ranging in size from studios to two-bedroom homes. Amenities proposed also include secure parking and cycle storage, and access to nearby Heaton Norris Park, a one-minute walk away.

The conversion has been designed by Knutsford-based DEN Architectural Design Consultants, on behalf of developers, Churchwood Properties. DEN, founded in 2016, is currently involved in projects nationwide with a build-value exceeding £100 million.

David Denton, the firm’s director and founder, praised the developments going on in Stockport. He said:

Stockport has undergone significant regeneration over recent years and there are ambitious plans in place for its continued development. No longer just considered an industrial commuter town, a bright future lies in store and, unsurprisingly, the demand for quality housing is growing.”

Stockport has attracted national attention for its ambitious regeneration plans, with the Stockport Mayoral Development Corporation, the first of its kind to deal with the town centre, facilitating the redevelopment of the Town Centre West area for urban living and 1 million sq ft of commercial property.

Plans for the conversion have been submitted following changes to planning regulations introduced by government this year to facilitate such developments in order to accelerate the provision of housing to reduce nationwide shortages.

Mr Denton added:

The Government’s reforms to the planning system earlier this year were monumental and this development is a perfect example of the potential for new homes that can lie within unused commercial properties.

“The developer was keen to deliver style as well as function and I’m confident we’ve achieved this – apartments are perfectly suited to young professionals or would make an ideal buy-to-let investment.”