Green light for two flats beside The Ridings in Wakefield city centre

Wakefield Council has granted permission to convert the first floor of the property on Cathedral Walk from office use into residential accommodation, with a ground floor shop remaining in use.

The site is close to Wakefield Cathedral and beside The Ridings, though not part of the shopping centre itself.

The scheme will create two one-bedroom, one-person flats and includes replacement of existing windows with double-glazed aluminium units.

The application had previously been refused after planners raised concerns about poor living conditions in one of the proposed flats.

It said a room would not benefit from adequate natural light and that the scheme failed minimum space standards.

Revised plans introduced changes including altered window design, layout adjustments and a rooflight.

A planning statement on behalf of the applicant said that the changes would allow occupants to benefit from improved daylight while reducing the impact of a nearby wall.