Vacant Keighley commercial building to be converted into four flats

Bradford Council has this week approved an application to convert a former bathroom storage building off Chapel Street in Keighley into four flats.

Although it has only been built in the past few years, the building is part of the Keighley Conservation Area.

Submitted by R Abrol, the application said the development would add to the town’s housing stock.

The four one bed flats would be laid out over two floors, and as well as the change of use, the application is for work to create doors, windows and dividing walls in the commercial building.

The plans said: “The application site comprises of an existing building previously used for commercial storage associated with the former bathroom business located at the ground floor of the adjacent building.”

It says that since the building was constructed, the bathroom business has re-located to a larger unit, adding: “The applicant has not marketed the site for other commercial use and has instead considered the proposed development to bring the building back into use, as four apartments.

“The existing site is vacant and harms the appearance of the Conservation Area through its redundant appearance without maintenance and upkeep.

“The now vacant application site can make a meaningful contribution towards housing supply, in a sustainable location.”

Approving the plans, officers said: “The proposal is considered unlikely to result in significant harm to the built environment, residential amenity of future occupants, or residential amenity of surrounding dwellings. The proposal would be further unlikely to result in severe harm to highways safety or substantial harm to the significance of designated heritage assets surrounding.”