'High quality apartment' plans for Fenland town centre premises

A town centre shop is to be given a new lease of life with plans to convert the upper floors into "high quality apartments".

Adrian Johnson, of Bury St Edmunds, has applied for permission to carry out works to 48 to 49 Market Place, Wisbech - which was until recently home to Hughes Electrical, which has relocated in the town.

His planning application to Fenland District Council seeks to retain the ground floor retail space and to convert the first and second floors into four one-bedroom apartments.

A heritage statement drawn up by Peter Humphrey Associates acting as agent for the applicant explains: "The new owner of the building wishes to retain the ground floor area as a retail space albeit with alterations and four high quality apartments above. The applicant will remain in control of both the retail space and apartments in terms of management."

It adds that the groundfloor will also be used for storage and a shared lobby to the apartments. On the first floor there will be part retail space and store room, and two apartments and there will be a staff and store room on the second floor alongside two further apartments.

All works proposed are predominantly internal, the only external alterations are the re-opening of two blocked windows on side elevation, the creation of a new door to apartment lobby area and replacement of two louvres for windows.

The existing large windows on the front will be refurbished. The impact on the local area and nearby heritage assets is therefore low.

The statement concludes: "The proposal will create much needed high quality residential units within the town and also ensure another building in the Market Place doesn’t become vacant."