DEVELOPERS hope to convert part of a Wood Street office building into flats.

The top three floors of the New Bank House building would become six flats, each boasting two bedrooms. The first floor skin clinic would go, to be replaced with two flats. The ground floor would remain as offices.

While the weighty stone façade of New Bank House belongs to an older building that has since been demolished, the extension behind it is more modern.

In a design statement prepared for Swindon Borough Council, planning agents Oxford Architects LLP wrote: “The proposal seeks to reuse an existing building with no external works proposed and is ideally located to maximise access to public transport and local amenities and will not affect the setting of the adjacent listed buildings or have an impact on the wider conservation area.

"It is believed that the works complies with local planning policy and should be given planning permission."

The flats would not come with allocated car parking spaces. Planning agents said the council policies did not require private parking, but that residents parking permits could be used on surrounding street. A covered cycle shelter will be built, with one cycle space per flat.

In their application, the developers say the number of shut shops along Wood Street is significant. New Bank House has had a For Let sign attached to its stone front since 2014. Developers wrote: "Whilst ground floor frontages are occupied, there are several empty premises, which detract from the shopping frontage and are prone to vandalism and fly-posting."

People have until October 5 to comment on the plans.