New penthouse floor for tower

A new floor containing three luxury penthouse units could be built on to a prominent city centre office block in Peterborough. Developers want to convert the empty office space in Hereward Tower, above Wilkinson in Broadway, into 33 residential flats.

The ambitious plans have just been submitted to Peterborough City Council and will be considered in the next few weeks.

The plans are being overseen by FW Properties on behalf of Pelican Partners and Investec Bank.

The vacant office building of 25,000 sq ft was originally constructed in 1966 and has been empty since the Inland Revenue vacated the building in 2008.

T h e p l a n s , whi c h h ave been designed by Peterborough-based architect David Turnock, are to convert the building into 33 residential flats.

T h e s i x e x i s t i n g t o wer f l oors - on the thi rd to the eighth levels - will contain 24 two-bedroom flats and six one-bedroom units. There will be three penthouse units in a new ninth floor.

A spokesman for Pelican Partners said: “All the flats will have car parking and will offer magnificent views of the city centre and the surrounding countryside.”

He s aid: “Due to recent changes in planning regulations, this application is only in relation to the construction of the additional floor and the recladding of the building.

“The c o nve r s i o n o f t he building to residential has already been permitted.”

It is hoped that construction will start this summer with completion during the second half of 2015.

Peterborough MP Stewart Jackson said: “I welcome ambitious and aspirational city centre living plans - it’s just what we need in Peterborough.”

Earlier plans to create 234 student bedsits have been dropped as unviable.

How Hereward Tower will appear if approval is given for a new ninth floor and cladding.