A FORMER office block is set to be transformed into residential flats after a planning notification was submitted to Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council.

Spinnaker House, in Lime Tree Way, Chineham, could be converted into 36 apartments under permitted development rules.

The building is within the Chineham Business Park and in addition to plans to change the use of the building, developers Allen Planning Ltd, has also submitted plans to make minor changes to the exterior of the red brick building.

In the application, it said: “The permitted development regulations under Party O of the GPDO [General Permitted Development Order] do not allow for the provision of any external alterations to the building as part of its change of use and therefore any external alterations proposed require the benefit of a separate planning permission.”

The developer hopes to replace the windows with double glazed grey slimline UPVC windows, with 28 window units to be blocked in to allow for internal alterations to be made to facilitate the conversion of the building to housing.

The planning documented added: “This site already has the necessary permission for its conversion in totality to residential apartments and the relatively minor external alterations proposed would improve the quality and usability of those approved apartments and thereby improve housing choice and standards within the district.

“The alteration to the external material of the building is entirely appropriate to its context and would provide a more residential appearance to the building akin to its new use.”

The building would retain 58 car parking spaces for usage by residents.

For more information about the conversion of the building and to comment, go to planning.basingstoke.gov.uk and search using the code 17/02516/GPDOFF.