Council to approve 45 flats on site of major Horsham office blaze

The three-storey structure at Horsham Gates on the corner of North Street and Foundry Lane was gutted by a fire in October 2009 and was later demolished.

Now developers are hoping to build a total of 45 flats in two separate buildings.

Currently the site is used for commercial car parking but Horsham District Council’s Development Control North Committee will debate the planning application tomorrow (Tuesday August 4) at 5.30pm at Parkside.

The same developer already has permission and has already started work to convert the other two remaining office blocks, Gates 2 and 3, into a total of 85 residential units.

It also applied and gained permission from HDC for external alterations to the buildings, including new windows, rooflights, balconies, and a gym for residents.

The new plans include an extension to Gate 3 to create a ‘continuous frontage’ in North Street, which will accommodate 15 units, while the other 30 will be provided in the new building on the Gate 1 site.

The entire site will have a total of 130 parking spaces as the existing parking spaces for Gates 2 and 3 will mainly be retained, while the new building will have parking in the undercroft.

The incident at the Horsham Gates in 2009 saw a hundred firefighters battle the fire as flames ripped through all three storeys of the building.

More than 200 people watched as ten fire engines tackled the blaze late on Sunday evening.

The plans for Horsham Gates follow similar applications to convert office blocks to housing at Linden House in Chart Way.

Other applications due to be debated by councillors on Tuesday include:

- A residential care facility for young adults with learning disabilities and autism in Copsale Road, Copsale

- Two blocks of flats totalling 25 units at Cisswood House Hotel, Sandygate Lane, Lower Beeding

- Redevelopment of the outbuildings behind the Queens Head Pub, Queens Street, Horsham.

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