A prominent empty bank building in Tiverton town centre will be transformed into a mixed-use development after planners approved proposals to bring the site back into use with shops and housing.
Mid Devon District Council has granted planning permission for the conversion and extension of the former Barclays Bank at 28 Fore Street, which has stood vacant since 2023.
The scheme, submitted by Mr Simon Sobczak, will create two commercial units on the ground floor alongside four studio flats and a six-bedroom house in multiple occupation (HMO).
Planning documents state that the ground floor of the building will be divided into two smaller commercial units measuring 55sq m and 67sq m respectively. The level will also include a communal bin and cycle store, access to the upper-floor homes and a studio flat at the rear of the building.
On the first floor, three studio flats will be created alongside part of the HMO accommodation. The shared house will continue on the second floor, providing six bedrooms in total, each with its own en-suite bathroom and shared kitchen and living area.
The project also includes a two-storey infill extension behind the existing façade, new openings at ground floor level for residential access and solar panels installed on the building’s flat roof.
A design statement submitted with the application says the building “has remained vacant since 2023 and currently detracts from the conservation area”.
The document adds that the proposal aims to bring the site “back into active use, enhancing the streetscape and contributing to the vitality and economy of the town centre”.
The building lies within the Tiverton conservation area and sits next to several listed properties along Fore Street. Planning officers noted that the building itself is modern and “of little architectural or historic interest”.
Plans include refurbishing the principal façade, installing new windows on the upper floors and rendering the brickwork in off-white to better match neighbouring buildings.
Solar panels will be installed on the flat roof but set back from the edge so they are largely hidden from public view.
Officers concluded the scheme would preserve the setting of nearby heritage assets and stated the works would “enhance the appearance of the Conservation Area”.
Tiverton Town Council considered the proposals at a planning committee meeting on December 8. Councillors said they preferred to see the building used rather than left empty and welcomed the inclusion of smaller commercial premises and solar panels.
However, the committee also raised concerns about the size of the studio flats, saying the footprint “may cause cramped living conditions”.
Public health officers initially raised issues about natural lighting, ventilation and storage within some of the proposed homes. They said there was doubt about “whether this space could provide a good and compliant standard of accommodation”.
Revised plans were later submitted with larger windows, improved ventilation and increased kitchen and storage space. Following the amendments, public health officers confirmed the accommodation would provide “a suitable living environment with minimal potential for condensation and mould growth”.
In a report recommending approval, planning officers said the proposal represents “a highly sustainable form of development providing mixed uses in the town centre”.
Planning permission has been granted subject to conditions, including ecological enhancements requiring the installation of three swift bricks in the new extension.
Under the terms of the approval, work on the development must begin within three years.
