The original property had been subdivided into two units during the mid-1800s. The ground floor of the building consisted of two retail outlets with office use on the upper two floors. The local authority offered a grant under The National Lottery Heritage Fund‘s Townscape Heritage Initiative to restore the shop front of two its original design to enhance the high street.
After careful investigation and negotiation with the local authority, we established how the shopfront would have looked when originally constructed. Accordingly, we returned the ground floor of the building to a single retail use. As well as altering the shopfront, external repairs to the fabric and windows was also undertaken.
The upper floors of the building were converted into flats in response to a shortage of accommodation in the town. This was undertaken with close consultation with both the conservation officer and building control to ensure that the requirements for fire escape and insulation were met without causing harm to the character or fabric of the Listed Building.
The result is a multi-use structure which both improves the aesthetic of the area and provides renewed retail and accommodation space for local residents and business owners.
