A former funeral directors which has lay empty for several years could be brought back to life as a new home.
The old Andrew Francis Funeral Service building, located at 25 London Road in Lynn, looks set to be transformed into a single dwelling after a listed building application was approved by West Norfolk Council.
However, a previous successful listed building application for three flats at the property was subsequently rejected at the full planning permission stage – suggesting there are still hurdles to overcome.
The conversion would require the re-instalment of a staircase, as currently the first floor is only accessible via a separate external staircase.
A report from borough council planning officers says: “This imposing property, on one of the main roads into Lynn, has been empty for a number of years.
“The proposed re-use of the building will therefore enhance the setting of the conservation area and the street scene, and will allow a historic building to be brought back to a use, which involves little alteration.
“The scheme therefore preserves the historic fabric of the listed building and protects and enhances the amenity of the wider environment including its heritage and cultural value.”
Plans for flats in the building were turned down earlier this year due to a high flood risk.
A design and access statement submitted by planning consultant Vision, on behalf of applicant Mervyn Lambert Plant, says: “The key issue above was simply pertaining to the presence (of) ground flood bedrooms. The current scheme proposes all bedrooms at first floor.
“In correspondence with the council during the course of the previous application it was confirmed that ensuring all bedrooms were at first floor would alleviate the concerns of the council through flood risk.”
It adds: “The proposed changes are necessary to allow for the continued use of the building, which will now be for residential, which the building once was in the past.”
