New plan to turn empty office space into flats

Revised plans to convert first-floor office space in Warminster town centre into flats have been resubmitted to Wiltshire Council.

The proposal would convert the first floor of the Grade II* listed building at 38 Market Place into two self-contained flats, with one and two bedrooms.

Previous plans were withdrawn following objections from the conservation officer.

The revised scheme would use an existing side access, allowing the original internal lobby and its exposed historic detailing to be retained. Other historic features, including a cupboard, would also be preserved.

The ground floor of the building is currently used for commercial purposes. Planning documents state that the first-floor offices are no longer needed for their current use and that converting the space would make more efficient use of the town centre building.

However, the plans have been objected to by Warminster town councillor Stephen Kirkwood, who raised concerns about traffic and access through the Wiltshire Council’s planning portal.

He said, “I have concerns about the access to the site for vehicles entering and exiting the area, the lack of vehicle parking behind the site and the impact on the flows of traffic in the Market Place area.”

The planning documents state that Wiltshire Council’s highways team was consulted about parking. As the proposal involves converting part of an existing building in a central location, with no existing car park, the development would remain car-free.