The former social housing in Moffat House on the London Road is to be turned into nine flats – as laid out in a planning application and application for Listed Building Consent lodged with Wiltshire Council. After a brief discussion of the applicaitons, Marlborough Town councillors on the planning committee voted unanimously that they had no objections to the conversion (February 19).
The part of the building that fronts onto London Road is Grade II listed. But a report for the new owners Thorstone Land and Property Limited sought to downplay the value of the building as part of Marlborough’s heritage.
Moffat House had been owned by the Guinness Trust and run by them for 28 years as social housing. When it was decided to close the social housing and sell the building, it still had five elderly occupants who had to be found alternative accommodation.
At that time the Guinness Trust said the building would require ‘significant building and refurbishment work’, that the ‘steep stairs and uneven floors’ were unsuitable for elderly people, and cited ‘the ongoing risk of flooding’.
A flood risk assessment lodged with the planning application, downplays the risk of flooding.
The planning committee did not try to make it a condition of planning consent that the flats be reserved for Marlborough residents. So close to the town centre and with off-street parking, they will make ideal second homes for weekenders.
Details of the layout of the flats can be found here – follow ‘Download plans and documents’.
The Chairman rounded off the discussion by saying the ‘no objection’ had been passed “Nem con – even though we may rue the loss of social housing – that’s not what this is about.”
