Project Introduction

Clients were a board of trustees who had for many years rented the entire property to the current tenant, a local practicing pharmacist. The building was grade 2 listed (circa 1830) in a conservation area and AONB. It featured a pharmacy store at the front with storage space to the rear and a kitchen and further storage at basement level. Then with 4 Bedrooms so the first floor, as historically, the Pharmacist would have lived on the premises. It was all in a fairly serious state of disrepair having had little to no maintenance for many years.

Problems Faced by the Client 

The agreement in place with the tenant included a maintenance clause, which meant the building required a dilapidation survey to allow for a commercial valuation before then reporting back to the board of trustees to enable them to decide on what to do with the property. A change of use and listed building consent was then sought to create more sustainable residential units to serve the community needs. We also incorporated extensive refurbishment of the current commercial space, including provision of a disabled access ramp.

The Tangent Space Solution

We were drafted in to draw up plans and secure all the required planning permission. We created two residential units, one below and one above the commercial ground floor space. The commercial space had its own independent access factored in along with a major internal and external overhaul. The residential units then benefitted from independent outside recreational space and off-street parking.

The Result

The permissions sought secured a future for the building and provided the owners with both commercial and residential income – maximising the building’s potential. Through careful negotiations with Historic England (formerly known as English Heritage) and the conservation team, a disabled ramp was designed which made accessing the building comply with current modern day standards and equally serving the community needs better.