Flats plan could breathe new life into former city recording studio
A FORMER recording studio building in Derby city centre could be turned into flats, if the go-ahead is given to a new planning application submitted to Derby City Council.
JSA Architects has applied for a change of use for the building at 44A Agard Street, formerly occupied by Snug Recording Studio, on behalf of Skinner Properties and which falls within the Friar Gate Conservation Area.
The proposal is to change the twostorey building into six residential flats - three one-bedroom and three twobedroom units.
The design and access statement says that the building will be internally reconfigured and an extension added at the rear of the property, which will give an additional floor of accommodation with a new roof.
It says: “Considering the substantially taller buildings in the surrounding area, we do not believe this will have any detrimental impact on the neighbouring properties or the street scene.”
The application does not include the single-storey building in front of the former recording studio, which is currently occupied by Derby Chiropractic Clinic.
Snug Recording Studio, which previously objected to planning permission being given an adjacent eight-storey block of 142 flats in 2019 because of the noise during construction, told its customers that it would be moving to Nottingham in a social media message last October after 15 years at the Derby venue.
The latest application comes as the Derby Telegraph reported recently that Agard Street is rapidly filling with tower blocks housing student flats.
The total number of student rooms on Agard Street, if all of the approved plans are built and current submitted plans approved, combined with Sir Peter Hilton Court, would be 1,076 flats.
The planning application is likely to be considered in the next eight to 12 weeks.