Bradford flats conversion will have 'adequate natural light'

A proposal to convert Quest House on Vicar Lane – former Government office space - into 34 flats can move ahead after planning officers acknowledged the developers would not need planning permission for the work.

Over the summer, Bradford Council received a notice from Nazia Ali that the building, near The Leisure Exchange, would be converted to flats through the “permitted development” route.

Introduced by the Conservative Government several years ago as a way to speed up regeneration, the scheme allows developers to convert empty city centre office or retail space into apartments without needing to go through usual planning routes.

Although councils are informed of such developments, they can only block them if there are serious concerns over issues such as fire safety, impact on highways, flooding risk and environmental health.

Flats do have to meet minimum space standards – which currently require a one-bed flat to have at least 37 square metres of living space.

The Vicar Lane entrance to Quest House (Image: T&A)

The flats in the proposed redevelopment of Quest House would be a mix of one-bed, two-bed and studio flats, with the smallest properties having 38 square metres of living space.

The largest two-bed flat would have 78 square metres of living space.

Planning officers at Bradford Council have now ruled that the development would meet all the minimum standards for permitted development, and so could go ahead without the need for planning permission.

Planning officers said: “The proposal will provide 34 apartments set over the ground and first floor of the former office building with 17 apartments on both floors.

“The floor areas of the proposed apartment will comply, and in some instances, exceed the minimum national space standards.

“The habitable rooms (bedrooms and living spaces) within the proposed apartments will be sufficiently served by the existing openings providing the occupants of these proposed apartments with adequate levels of natural light, outlook and ventilation.”

Highways officers said the building was well served by public transport, with bus stops almost directly outside the Vicar Lane entrance.

They advised that cycle storage should be provided in the development and that the existing on-site parking to the rear of the building should be retained for use by future occupiers of the site.