Eight-storey flats finally approved near Nottingham Railway Station

The green light has been given for the development

An eight-storey block of flats will be built close to Nottingham Railway Station two months after being approved.

Waterway House, in Waterway Street, can be demolished to make way for an 191-apartment block, says Nottingham City Council.

The plans were approved in principle in March but only signed off by the council this week.

The disused office building dates back to the 1970s.

A mixture of 122 one-bed and 69 two-bed flats will be built, says developer Rainier Developments.

The scheme will have 26 parking spaces - of which four are disabled bays - which was considered appropriate given the site's proximity to public transport links.

Waterway House will be cleared for the new building

The scale of the building had been criticised by Nottingham Civic Society.

Members argued the size of the building formed a barrier between the city centre and the lower-level Meadows to the south, as well as jarring with the Station Conservation Area.

But council planners argued the building was not out of character compared with nearby high rise developments.

Ward councillor Michael Edwards, at a meeting in March, called the design of the building "brutal" and a "poor neighbour" to nearby Station House, on a site which was a "genuine gateway to the city".

He also said residents of the Meadows had not been consulted appropriately.

The site is close to the Nottingham tramline into the railway station

Councillors gave the green light to the development in principle in March, after a lengthy debate over Rainier Developments Ltd not having to make financial contributions to the local area.

Contributions are calculated independently, with an assessment determining the scheme would be unviable if money was paid out.

But final approval had been delegated to planning officers to agree design details of the scheme.

This was finalised and approved on Tuesday.