Plans to turn former council offices beside Arbroath library into 20 flats have come forward.
Dewar House sits directly next door to the library on Hill Terrace.
For many years it was Angus Council’s housing office in the town.
But the three-storey sandstone property was closed a number of years ago.
It was part of a programme to reduce the number of council buildings across Angus.
And now a planning application has been lodged to return the building to residential use.
The proposal has been submitted by local applicant Mayara Agnes.
Dewar House sits inside Arbroath’s conservation area.
Mix of apartments
Architects A B Roger & Young say the main elevation fronting onto Hill Terrace will be virtually unchanged.
“The buildings has sat empty for an extensive amount of time,” they say.
“The proposed flats will bring life back to the building and prevent it sitting redundant and decaying.
“The building has aready been adapted from a tenement into offices.These proposals see it being converted back into domestic housing.
A planning statement adds: “The building divides well into 20 units, which offer a range of apartments from studio to three-bedroom flats.”
The proposal also involves two new three-bedroom semi-detached houses.
Those would be built on land which was an overspill car park behind Dewar House.
On the overall project, the architects say: “We believe the design has been sympathetic to the conservation area and nearby listed buildings.
“In addition (the site) has very strong links with green spaces and the sea, which will be highly beneficial to the occupants’ mental health.”
Angus Council will consider the application in due course.
Council considers HQ sale in estates review
Dewar House was one of the early targets in the council estates review.
Since 2015 the council has made £4m of savings as part of the property review.
It has generated £1.3m for the council from the sale of surplus buildings.
And moves are underway to market the authority’s Angus House HQ in Forfar for sale or rent.
Councillors agreed to put the ‘for sale’ sign up at the 17-year-old Orchardbank offices after hearing they are now only 55% occupied since the pandemic.
It costs the council £400,000 a year to run Angus House.
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