Disused office block may be turned into 130 flats

The office block in Hanley could be transformed into flats

Plans have been lodged to turn the majority of a disused 11-storey office block into flats.

The proposals for Blackburn House in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, would see the upper 10 floors of the tower converted into 130 apartments.

The B&M store on the ground floor of the building would not be affected by the development, planning documents said.

According to the planning application, the offices have been empty since HM Revenue and Customs closed its Stoke-on-Trent base, in 2019.

It said there had been no demand for the office space since then and bringing the building back into use as housing would boost the local economy.

The proposed apartments would consist of 120 one-bedroom flats and 10 three-bedroom flats.

'Sustainable use'

The application submitted to Stoke-on-Trent City Council states: “The introduction of 130 residential units to the city centre will provide a positive impact to the area because it will increase the footfall for local businesses in the area who are struggling to keep afloat.

“By converting the upper floors into residential use, we are also bringing a derelict building on brownfield land back into a sustainable and practical use.”

If the plans are approved, Blackburn House would become the latest major city centre residential development, following the opening of the Clayworks scheme in 2020.

There are also proposals to build around 300 flats as part of the Etruscan Square development, immediately adjacent to Blackburn House.

The city council is expected to make a decision on the proposals by 28 June.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.