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LANDMARK building, Spitalgate House, is being given a new lease of life by Leicester developer Westleigh, as part of a pioneering union with Nottinghamshire Community Housing Association and South Kesteven District Council. The Georgian building on London Road, forms part of a £1.5 million development which also involves the erection of a new four-storey apartment block on the corner of London Road and Wharf Road, Grantham. When complete, the development will provide 23 flats for rent which will be aimed at single people and young couples who cannot afford to buy on the open market. The conversion of Spitalgate House, and the erection of new homes in a conservation area, posed a challenge which Westleigh was happy to meet head-on. Property Manager Matthew Moore said: "This project has involved Westleigh Developments converting a substantial Grade II listed building within Grantham town centre into small self-contained apartments as well as a new-build scheme of apartments." Ensuring the new building was designed in a similar style to its traditional neighbours was no mean feat for Westleigh's architects. However, it was the type of task Westleigh is used to handling, having already produced traditional-styled terraced homes and other conversions with period features. Matt said the company always tries to ensure infill development fits in with its surroundings and, in this case, has striven to make the new building as closely resembling neighbouring Georgian properties as possible. "Throughout the duration of the construction programme, Westleigh have constantly adhered to the requirements and concerns of both the local authority and local residents with regard to the preservation of a listed building," he said. "We hope that this development is of a standard that reflects its prominent positioning within Grantham town centre and provides a much-needed provision of residential accommodation in this area." Westleigh acquired Spitalgate House and the additional land at the end of 2003 and subsequently liaised with Nottingham Community Housing Association and South Kesteven District Council to identify what the housing needs were in the area and fulfill them accordingly. Spitalgate House itself was previously used for offices but has been empty for around two years. It now houses seven one-bedroom flats, varying in size from 40.9sq m to 75sq m, an ancillary area and office. The new building houses two two-bedroom flats with floor areas of 54.6 sq m, and 14 one-bedroom flats of 41 sq m. Vincent Ahtime, of Brian Dearlove Architects, said the new building had been designed to look as if it was part of the adjacent Nag's Head public house, also an historic building. "It couldn't be an exact match because of the difference in floor to ceiling heights, but we've sought to disguise this and make the facade as similar as possible," he said. "With regard to the existing building, it had some interesting features inside, which we have highlighted, and the facade of the building is also the same. All we have done is carried out some necessary renovations, for example repairing cracked sills and replacing rotten wood." Many original features have been maintained and, in some cases, exposed, within Spitalgate House, following the Westleigh conversion, and provide attractive features within the newly-converted flats and meeting room. These include: * Black marble fireplaces and surrounds
* A ceramic fireplace surround
* Decorative cornices
* A stone corridor floor
* Georgian sash windows, which have been repaired and had new mechanisms installed
* Georgian external sills, which have been repaired
* Wrought-iron external railings
* Decorative panelling - thought to have been added at a later date. Westleigh is also currently building 60 low cost homes at Springfield Road in Grantham, in partnership with Longhurst Housing Association and SKDC. This development, on the site of the old BMARC social club, was started earlier this year and is due to be complete by the end of the summer. It will provide 29 two-bedroom homes, 29 three-bedroom and two four-bedroom. They will be a mixture of rented and shared-ownership properties. |
