PLANS have been lodged to transform the second and third floors a vacant shop in Andover town centre into flats.

WBIC Developments Ltd is seeking planning permission to convert the two floors of the former Edinburgh Woollen Mill unit, in High Street, into four apartments – three two-bedroom and one one-bedroom.

A previous application for the ground floor of the unit, by Gat Investments Ltd, sought to change the use of the unit to mixed use and a one bed flat.

In 2022 this was refused by Test Valley Borough Council which stated that the ‘residential use would be adversely impacted by the commercial use of the ground floor of the property by virtue of noise disturbance’.

READ MORE: Andover Edinburgh Woollen Mill emptied after administration 

Edinburgh Woollen Mill unit prior to it closing in Andover The current application states: “The building is set over three floors and has historically been used for retail which continues to be its lawful use with the main retail frontage onto the High Street."

WBIC Developments wants to retain the commercial unit and states that access to the flats will be ‘via either the existing rear internal staircase or the existing external (private) terrace’, it continued: “Both accessed from the rear of the building at Kings Yard and will allow for independent access to the proposed residential units.”

Internal access to the retained commercial floor space will be via the existing High Street access and an emergency / staff access door located to the rear.

SEE MORE: Rebuilding fire-damaged units and changes to shopfront on the planning list

The developer has said that the proposed change of is “considered desirable to reuse a large redundant element of the commercial unit”.

The application continued: “The proposal will introduce new dwellings to the area and in the short term, will provide employment benefits for the construction industry, which is a clear economic benefit of the scheme.

“Another longer-term economic benefit of the proposed change of use is the boost to the local economy which will come from new residents utilising local services which in turn supports and sustains communities over the longer term.”

The proposals retain the external appearance of the front façade facing the High Street.

Edinburgh Woollen Mill closed in January 2021 after the company fell into administration.