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Plans for more than 100 flats above a city centre bank have been approved. Progressive Property Ltd proposed to Peterborough City Council to change the upper floors of 1 to 3 Church Street, Peterborough, into 104 co-living flats. The bottom floor of the building is used by Barclays Bank.

Among the plans, the applicants proposed a number of different facilities. These include en-suite accommodation completed to a “high-end finish”, themed lounge spaces, kitchen spaces and dining spaces aimed to create a "variety of ambient vibes”.

Other facilities include lounges, quiet lounge areas, secure cycle storage and laundry services. The flats are proposed to be co-living to help the council meet HMO standards.

The applicant added: “This ensures that the units will provide adequate internal space for future occupants, with appropriate room sizes, storage areas and overall floor area.

“By adhering to these standards, the units will offer a comfortable, functional and high-quality living environment, aligned with modern housing requirements, as well as flexible and affordable accommodation.”

No car parking will be provided for the flats, as there is “no requirement to provide spaces for residents and visitors”, according to the council’s local plan car parking standards. However, a total of 120 cycle parking spaces form part of the plans.

Before approval, the plans received a mixed reaction. Urban design officer Khalifa Abubakar showed support for the plans, and considered it a “welcomed improvement of the pre-application scheme”.

However, the officer asked for a number of matters to be addressed. The officer said the plans lacked a “comprehensive landscaping strategy”. They were also concerned that the upper storey appeared “overbearing and visually dominant” in several eye-level views from Cathedral Square.

The Peterborough Civic Society objected to the plans. The society said the changes to the building for the flats would make it a “visually jarring element” in the city centre.

A society spokesperson said: “When viewed across Cathedral Square, the increased mass of a greatly enlarged fourth storey on what is already a visually intrusive building in an otherwise highly attractive townscape façade to the south side of the square will present a visually jarring element to this highly important urban space in the city centre.” They also felt the design was “cramped and over-insensitive”.

The plans were however approved by the council.