Work-from-home culture could mean new lease of life for historic Retford building

A planning application, submitted to Bassetlaw District Council, aims to convert vacant office space above and behind the Wilsons Carpets shop, next to Specsavers, at Market Place, into seven one-bedroom apartments.

The three-storey building, which dates back to the late 18th century, is grade II listed and displays all the hallmarks of traditional Georgian design.

But one of the key reasons given for the proposed makeover is that working from home has now become “widely accepted” across the UK.

Remote working or hybrid working was “a highly sought-after request from employees”, meaning that offices in town centres were no longer needed.

A planning statement says: “Prior to the pandemic in 2019, 4.7 per cent of UK employees worked from home. In 2022, 25 per cent worked from home at least some of the time.

"This is a fivefold increase in hybrid or home working, which does not lend itself well to business models that operate around office space.”

The statement was compiled by James Hartley, of Phase Architecture, a Clarborough-based design company acting as agents for the applicant behind the plan, Redwing Estates (Nuneaton), a firm involved in the buying and selling of real estate.

Mr Hartley says that not only have working patterns changed but there is also “an attempt to get people back living in town centres” such as Retford.

The theory is that “those living in the town would shop in the town”. So, “the removal of office space in towns and buildings around the centre should dramatically affect the number of people making use of the facilities and amenities on offer on our high streets”.

Hence the scheme for the seven flats, which would range in size from 48 square metres to 75 square metres. There would be two on the ground floor, three on the first floor and two on the second.

Mr Hartley stresses that the retail space on the ground floor would stay and goes on: “The appearance of the building would also remain largely as it is, with only essential repairs to the street frontage.”

The council’s planning officers hope to make a decision on the scheme by Tuesday, August 12.