A PLAN to convert three empty floors of a ‘dated’ city centre building into apartments has moved a step closer.

The top three floors of Jenkins House, a building on the corner of Foregate Street and Pierpoint Street which was previously occupied by insurance brokers Clarke Roxburgh, would be converted into eight apartments.

The building opposite The Postal Order pub, which is not listed but sits within the Foregate Street and Tything conservation area and is surrounded by grade II-listed buildings, was unable to attract any potential suitors to continue using it as offices.

The plans, approved in March last year, show the rest of the building converted into two studio apartments, five one-bed apartments and one two-bed apartment.

If planners at Worcester City Council sign off on new plans submitted earlier this month, developer Worcester Properties Ltd can begin work.

A decision to seek permission to convert the rest of the buildings into apartments was taken after a number of other buildings in Foregate Street - including listed buildings - had been converted into houses of multi occupation (HMO) after failing to attract business interest.

Whilst the ground floor was occupied by Clarke Roxburgh, the lack of facilities in the top three floors meant it was left unoccupied for many years and had fall into a poor state.

The owners of the building felt the lack of facilities - including a lack of parking and a lift - as well as the general run-down condition of the building would make it difficult to let even if it was completely refurbished.

Building consultants Principal Design said it would “breathe life” into a rundown property and give the chance for some of the building’s original features to be restored.