New student flats plans for former Lancaster city centre bed store

Bensons for Beds in Brock Street is currently empty and has fallen into disrepair.

Applicant Inayat Munshi wants to bring the building back into use, with a ground floor retail unit and student accommodation on the first, second, third and new fourth floors.

These would comprising of four cluster flats and 20 studio flats with construction of dormer roof extensions to the front and rear.

Work initially began in September 2022 on the site, but had to stop as original planning permission granted in December 2014 had lapsed.

Mr Munshi was told that renewed planning permission was needed for work to continue on renovating the property.

Baltic Planning and Development, on behalf of Mr Munshi, said in submissions to the councill that the existing vacant property is "visually harmful in its current state on one of the key transit routes within the city centre, and in a prominent location on the corner of Brock Street and Mary Street."

Their report added: "The need to bring this building back into use, and the improvements and enhancement this proposed development will create within the local area, is material to the determination of this application."

Access to the building would be provided via Brock Street at ground floor level for the retail use, and access to a shared entrance lobby for the rest of the building via a dedicated entrance lobby served from Mary Street, also providing access to a building manager’s office and cycle store for the use of the student units.