Plans for listed Rochdale building 'targeted by thieves' revealed

The former offices on Drake Street have not been used for more than two years

A Grade II listed building which has become a “target for vandals and thieves” could be transformed into flats under new plans.

If approved, proposals submitted to Rochdale Council would see the offices on Drake Street turned into six apartments.

The application said the building had not been used for more than two years and had been broken into several times.

A previous application to create eight flats in the building and a detached dwelling was rejected earlier in the year.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) said the applicant had suggested there was “very little demand for office space” in the town and the building would better serve as accommodation.

The applicant said the site had become "a target for vandals and thieves, who have broken in several times and stolen anything of value".

They added that the building, which was built in the early 19th Century and first listed in 1985, would remain mostly unaffected by the works required to transform it.

If approved, the plans will see three one-bedroom flats created on the ground floor and a further three on the first floor.

The LDRS said the council's determination deadline for the proposal is 18 December.