Major plans in place for iconic corner of town
▶ Former council offices and tourist centre could become 12 apartments, a pub and a restaurant...
HISTORIC buildings in the centre of Leek - which have in the past housed council offices, a tourist information centre, a pub, club and restaurant, and the Post & Times - are at the heart of a major redevelopment plan.
An application has been submitted to Staffordshire Moorlands District Council for alterations to form a modified ground floor retail, pub and food/drink establishment together with 12 ground and upper floor residential apartments at 1–3 Market Place and 2–4 Stockwell Street.
The nightclub Society has now been taken on by a new owner, Gavin Mcaspurn, who plans to give it a “small facelift” before reopening when regulations allow.
The apartments, meanwhile, would comprise eight one-bedroom and four two-bedroom units.
A design and access statement, incorporating a conservation area heritage statement for the redevelopment, has been prepared by CTD Architects of
Leek for H2 Investments Ltd.
The statement said: “The proposed development affects a prominent group of landmark buildings that face on to the North East corner entrance of the Market Place in Leek town centre.
“The buildings and site also back onto Silk Street car park and can be accessed from Stockwell Street through an archway under the old fire station building and from Church Street, and can be serviced from this location.
“The development proposal is very much in the heart of Leek town centre and is in an established retail area with a large element of occupied upper floor ‘living over the shop’ residential accommodation.”
Number 1 Market Place is currently a corner retail and office unit in the ownership of the council.
Numbers 2–3 became separated from their neighbour when the whole site was demolished and rebuilt as council offices at some point around the middle part of the 20th century.
Vacated by the council in late 1970s to early 1980s, the property remained under used, although a number of comprehensive town centre retail development ideas were considered for the whole of the Market Place, Stockwell Street and Silk Street car park areas, including a civic hall/ theatre space and a link up with the indoor market.
Planning permissions, which incorporated demolition of the Market Place corner buildings, was granted in 1987, and again in 1990, but never developed.
In 2004, the property – along with the old fire station building on Stockwell Street – was leased to CPD Ltd/
Barracuda Group and converted into a large late night serving pub/club, wine bar and restaurant called The Engine Room.
Since then the premises have remained in similar use and changed leaseholders over the years.
The old fire station at 2–4 Stockwell Street is a red-brick Victorian-style building with a prominent bell tower.
The building was designed by architect JT Brealey and purposebuilt in 1898 on the old stableyards of the 18th century Cock Inn as the town’s fire station premises for Leek Urban District Council. Vacated by the fire service in 1971, the property has remained in the long-term ownership of the local council.
More recently, the Stockwell Street property has been joined up internally with 2–3 Market Place, and in 2004 was converted into the Engine Room.
The property is currently leased to H2 Investments Ltd and was recently sub-let to a management group which operated the nightclub Society.
The club’s new owner, Mr Mcaspurn, said the planning application will not affect his business.
He added: “I took over the business last October, which saved several jobs presently furloughed due to lockdown.
“I now have plans to give the business a small facelift ready for reopening.
“We are presently going through all the systems and have a 10-12 years lease on the premises.
“We are now waiting for the go ahead to come back with the business, following the lockdown.”
Leek Town Mayor, Councillor Stephen Wales, said: “Repurposing these buildings to create further accommodation and the extension of the retail space could bring potential benefits in meeting local demand. We look forward to seeing the detailed plans.”
County and district councillor, Charlotte Atkins said: “We need more affordable flats, especially for young people. With town centre shops being in decline, it makes sense to bring people back into town to live to make it more vibrant.
“Many businesses have failed to thrive at this location. It was once a great site for the town’s tourist office, a welcoming window for visitors on all that Leek has to offer. Sadly, the council decided to hide the tourist office away in the Nicholson Centre where few tourists are likely to find it.
“My only concern is that the town centre can be very noisy so the flats will need to be insulated against noise.”
The application added: “The economic viability of the current business use has been seriously affected by Covid-19 and has necessitated the applicant and the council to take a fresh look at development prospects.
“The proposal does not provide for any private car parking spaces as we consider there is adequate parking provision surrounding the development site at both the front and at the rear of the property.
“The proposed change of use will see an under-performing group of existing buildings come back into viable economic and meaningful use by retaining the current ground floor commercial function.”
A decision is expected by planners within the next 12 weeks.