A bid has been submitted to turn a former city centre fashion store into flats. The former home of men’s fashion shop Austin Reed in Belvoir Street, Leicester, could instead be called home by students.
Applicant Mr A Shah is looking to convert the three-storey building into 22 studio flats, with a side extension to the building and the conversion of the roof space into another floor. The ground floor of the building will be retained for commercial uses, planning documents submitted to Leicester City Council state.
There would be nine apartments over the first and second floors and four in the converted third floor. A previous application for this site was approved by Leicester City Council in 2018 for the extension of the building and its redevelopment into nine residential flats.
The new plan reflects that already approved by the council in terms of the external alterations, the applicant has said. Access would be via a side entrance off Belvoir Street. Because of the availability of public transport in the city centre, there are no car parking spaces proposed with the plan.
The applicant said, with both universities are within walking distance, this is a suitable site for student housing. The documents added: “The proposal would meet the increase in demand for student accommodation whilst taking pressure off existing housing stock that is more suitable for family housing.”
