Building in city’s clubland gets green light to turn into flats

Norwich City Council has given the green light to insurance company Alan Boswell to convert their former office on 100 Prince of Wales Road into homes.

Permission has been granted to turn the three floors of the building, which is next door to student accommodation, into 25 one-bedroom flats.

According to documents, an already existing bike storage and refuse provision area will remain.

The project will be taken on by a developer, who has yet to come on board, who will complete the conversion.

But concerns have been raised in comments on the planning application.

The strategic housing department at Norwich City Council said they welcomed more single person accommodation but added most of the flats are “small, being around half of the minimum size required of the nationally described space standard for a one bedroom flat”.

Norfolk Police, meanwhile, said it was “essential to factor in protective security measures and practices” due to the building’s location in the city centre to be able to support the application.

And the cycle storage area was queried by the transportation department at Norfolk County Council. They said “the application fails to detail how the rear yard will be used for cycle parking or refuse storage.”

Prospective developers would have three years to start work before the planning permission expires.

If work goes ahead, it would be the latest in line of residential developments for the street.

This includes plans to turn the former Mercy nightclub into homes, which were given the green light this year.

Alan Boswell Group vacated the office on at Prince of Wales Road last year, with staff relocating to Prospect House on Rouen Road.

It came following a deal between the insurance company and Archant, the publisher of this newspaper, to share the city centre office space.

The Boswell Group took on ownership of the site while Archant occupy one floor.

A spokesman for the Alan Boswell Group declined to comment.