Owners of former Co-op apply to make it a house
The owners of the former Co-op store on Sheep Street have applied to West Oxfordshire District Council for "change of use" planning permission, from retail to residential.
The store is owned by the occupants of the adjacent house, Hone House, who bought the building after the Co-op relocated, and extended their residence into the rear and upper floors. For a while, the shop was occupied by Millie Benjamin Bridal Wear, but this ceased several years ago. The owners' agents, Tayler & Fletcher of Chipping Norton, say that they have made "genuine and sustained attempts" to relet the premises but that any offers fell through. The owners, they say, have therefore "reluctantly concluded that the only realistic option is to seek permission for change of use".
According to the planning application:
- "It is locally well recognised that Charlbury has ceased to be a centre of Retail and Commercial activity in recent years"
- "Charlbury is not a town, merely a 'Service Centre'"
However, the application does note that the other vacant commercial property being advertised in central Charlbury, the Old Bank House opposite the Corner House, is "under offer after renovation".
The application can be viewed online at the WODC website. Relevant documents include the application letter, the site plan and the supporting explanation.
Comments are invited to be sent to Dawn Brodie at WODC, dawn.brodie@westoxon.gov.uk . Charlbury Town Council will also be asked as a matter of course to comment on the application and anyone commenting may want to cc: their comments to clerk@charlburytowncouncil.co.uk .
Richard Fairhurst · Fri 11 Jan 2013, 00:21 · Link