New apartment block scheme signed off by planners
A city centre office block is set to be converted into apartments after plans were signed off.
Council chiefs have given the green light to a scheme to transform Pearl House on Waterloo Road, Wolverhampton, into 38 one and two-bed homes.
The revamped six-storey office block will also feature a laundry room, a bike store and a refuse store on the lower ground floor, as well as a 12-space car park.
There will be 36 one-bedroom apartments and two two-bedroom apartments over four floors.
A statement accompanying the plans describes the scheme as an "efficient use of an underutilised building", and notes that only part of the upper floor is currently occupied.
It says the renovation will "bring forward much needed housing in a highly sustainable location". "The site is within the city centre, close to all required facilities and services, and an abundance of public transport options," the statement adds.
"There are no technical constraints as the proposed scheme would not prejudice the safe or efficient use of the public highway and would not give rise to any severe impacts to highway safety, nor would it incur unacceptable flood risk
problems.
"There are no neighbouring land uses that would cause any adverse impact upon the amenity of future occupiers of the development in terms of noise pollution."
No changes will be made to the outside of the building, the statement adds.
The first floor of the building previously served as an office for the Health Assessment Advisory Service, which conducted assessments for the Department for Work and Pensions.
Wolverhampton Council is bidding to increase the options available for city centre living. It forms part of a new vision for the city featuring homes, leisure and retail.
Schemes in the pipeline include hundreds of new homes at the Brewers Yard and Canalside Quarter developments.
