# Grimsby Building Transformation Approved: Plans to Transform Old Market Place into Three Flats
Key Highlights :
Plans to transform an iconic Grimsby building within sight of Freshney Place's main entrance have been approved. 7-8 Old Market Place will be converted into three flats, with a single one-bed flat and two two-bed flats. The Coral betting shop on the ground floor is not part of the proposed changes, and there will be no external alterations, with an existing separate entrance to the upper floors.
The property is on a local list of buildings of historic or architectural interest and is within Grimsby Conservation Area. Stewart Management & Planning Solutions Ltd state in a planning document on behalf of the applicant: "The flats are provided as 1- and 2- bedroom units as the location is considered poorly suited to family accommodation due to the absence of space on-site for outdoor recreation and the proximity to a busy high street".
The three floors of the building are vacant or under-occupied and have "failed to attract and sustain commercial occupation for some considerable time". Previous upper floor tenants have included a beauty therapist and debt collectors.
The council's environmental protection team initially objected, concerned by the proximity to nightclubs and bars and potentially unacceptable noise levels for residents. This issue has been addressed with a condition for either double glazed, sealed windows, or secondary glazed windows and sound lessening ventilations.
At nearby Freshney Place, work will begin in the summer stripping out vacant units in the western end ahead of its redevelopment. Parkway Entertainment Group are already signed up as the anchor tenant for the cinema. The former BHS building will be demolished in early 2024 to make way for the new market hall.
The approval of the plans to transform 7-8 Old Market Place into three flats is a welcome development for the people of Grimsby. It is hoped that the new flats will provide comfortable and affordable accommodation for those living in the area, as well as helping to boost the local economy. With the nearby Freshney Place redevelopment also set to get underway soon, it looks like Grimsby is set for a bright future.
