A total of 18 apartments are proposed for a Chester city centre street above a supermarket and a coffee shop.

Applicants Britten Properties LLP are seeking permission from Cheshire West and Chester Council to create 18 apartments in the currently vacant upper floors of 14-20 Watergate Street, above Sainsbury's and Costa Coffee. The respective retailers would continue trading.

Planning consultants Cassidy + Ashton Group Ltd, on behalf of the applicants, said in a planning statement the scheme would be "of benefit to Watergate Street and the wider Northgate redevelopment area, making effective use and regeneration of underutilised above row level space within the city centre."

The consultants added the redevelopment would be unlikely to impact negatively on future Northgate development work, with Phase 2 "not expected to be delivered for considerable time".

Phase 2 of the Northgate Development covers the former Forum Shopping Centre and old indoor market area and had initially been designed to be a retail-led development, but is now far more likely to be residential-led.

Consultants added: "Through conversion of the building, the proposed works aim to provide a high quality residential scheme which is consistent with the wider Northgate development scheme area.

"The proposed conversion will deliver 18 apartments across the third and fourth floors, with eight two-bedroom apartments and 10 one-bedroom apartments. The proposal is internal conversion, yet with amendments and upgrades to the external elevations, including new pedestrian entrance and improvements to the rear service yard."

The most significant external changes would be seen from the floors above Sainsbury's and Costa, with new rooftops and an insulated brick cladding system.

Given the constraints of the building, on-site car parking is not possible within the boundaries of the development. However, cycle parking would be provided within communal areas of the building.

It is noted that 14-20 Watergate Street are some of the only modern buildings along the street, built in the 1970s, and are unlisted.

Consultation is now open on the application, which is due to be determined by the local authority at a later date.