PLANS to turn the remaining vacant area of a former Ellesmere Port social club into apartments have been given the green light.

The proposal for seven, one-bed studio apartments on the ground floor of the old Phoenix Social Club on Cromwell Road was rubber stamped by Cheshire West and Chester Council last week.

One half of the ground floor inside the locally listed building, which is believed to date back to around 1925, has already been turned into a McColl's convenience store.

As part of those plans back in 2017, the other half was also due to be converted into a retail unit but an occupier was never secured and that section of the property has remained empty ever since.

As a result, the owners Rose Family Properties submitted a planning application in October last year to turn the remaining half into apartments instead.

The application stated: "The accommodation comprises of entrance hall, small services room, studio style open plan living/kitchen/bedroom arrangement.

"It is proposed to have limited impact on the façade of the property with minimal changes externally.

"The vast majority of changes to the building are internal as part of the building’s refurbishment."

In a report recommending approval, the council's case officer Edward Shepherd said: "The unit is a previous social club and there is an extent permission to use this area of the building as a retail unit.

"However, the building has been empty for in excess of seven years and is beginning to suffer through its lack of use.

"A residential development has taken place immediately opposite. It is considered that there is a high degree of value in bringing this building back into use because of the physical presence it has upon the street scene and within the area and the overall contribution it makes to the character of the local area."

He added: "The building has some historic and architectural value which is reinforced by its locally listed status. The historic and architectural interest in the building would be conserved through the proposed development, with the use of limited external changes to the building."

The first floor of the building has already been converted into flats.