Flats plans for former brewery site re-emerge
PROPOSALS to turn a former Bass building into 70 apartments have reemerged after they were thrown out earlier this year.
The Coors Technical Training Centre, in Cross Street, Burton, is currently empty. It was sold on after Molson Coors moved operations out of one of its large brewery sites in Station Street, which is next to the training centre.
A “prior notification” application was submitted by AG Construction Ltd earlier this year for 70 one-bed apartments, but was refused by planning officers at East Staffordshire Borough Council.
Planners argued that while the building itself was not listed, it is a “curtilage listed building”, which means it falls within the curtilage of the listed old Molson Coors brewery site, the applicant could not apply for prior notification.
A curtilage listed building is defacto listed because it is within the curtilage of a listed building and such buildings are afforded the same protection and restrictions imposed as a listed building.
The same applicant has now submitted a full application for listed building consent for the partial demolition of a laboratory side of the building to facilitate the conversion and extension of existing office building into 62 one-bedroom apartments and eight two-bedroom flats, as well as a loft conversion to include dormer windows in front and rear elevation. In the submission to the council, the applicant said: “The existing more historic portion of the warehouses/offices is to remain unaffected and the existing loft space above utilised to form an additional floor, all contained within the existing floor plan. The works and demolition will allow for better light to the development while providing more amenity space to residents.”
The report goes on to say: “The central location of the site brings with it a large opportunity for workers and the younger generation, and this site poses great redevelopment potential to provide smaller units of accommodation. It is believed that a combination of utilising an existing site and the proximity to the local amenities, would be viewed favourably due to the East Staffordshire Strategic policy 1, which classify the redevelopment as it would provide a social role as well as an environmental role by utilising the existing fabric, minimising the amount of new construction.”
A decision is due in the next few months. To the east of the building lies the large Molson Coors brewery site, which has been decommissioned and ways are currently being looked into to re-purpose it.
The south brewery was built in 1864 and was previously connected to the company’s north brewery across by an overhead bridge in Station Street. It last produced beer in December 2017 and, following a £100 million investment over the last decade, Molson Coors transferred all brewing activity in Burton to the north brewery site the following year.
Last year it was revealed that old south brewery had been sold to property developer Day-dako Developments.