A FORMER Southampton car showroom could be torn down to make way for new flat blocks should plans be approved by civic chiefs.

Plans have been submitted to Southampton City Council seeking permission to demolish the existing car showroom on St Denys Road and replace the building with two flat blocks.

The proposal, submitted by Petra Developments Ltd & Fortitudo Ltd, states that the two blocks would create 35 new homes made up of one and two-bedroom flats, as well as parking, new access and landscaping.

One block will be three storeys high and the second block will be five storeys high.

The application claims that the design for the site, near the junction of Thomas Lewis Way, is "high quality and would breathe fresh life into the site".

The applicant claims that the existing building, and the building-to-plot ratio, is a "clear underuse of brownfield land".

Around 15 of the new homes are set to be affordable housing, but it will be subject to viability.

A total of 30 parking spaces are proposed to serve the 35 flats as well as a total of 36 cycle spaces.

The development is also offering a "net gain" in both soft landscaping and biodiversity.

Plans show that planting in the area would be used as the site is currently "dominated by a large expanse of hard surfacing".

The design statement states: "The development would make more efficient use of currently underused urban land in a
highly sustainable location.

"It would provide modern, fit-for-purpose accommodation, boosting the supply of one and two-bed homes in the city.

"The design and finish are appropriate to the locality and the development would fit seamlessly in the street scene and the design has been carefully conceived to avoid harm to neighbour amenity and ensure that a comfortable relationship subsists."

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