A FORMER Southampton sports bar could become a new city centre flat block.

Plans have been submitted to Southampton City Council asking for permission to turn Liberty's in the High Street into 12 new homes.

The plans have been resubmitted by Khalid Abrkhil after the first proposals were rejected in February 2021.

The proposals detail plans to convert the first and second floors, and part of the ground floor, into 12 flats consisting of one two-bed flat and 11 one-bed flats.

READ MORE: Former Southampton sports bar could be turned into flats

This will also include revamping the front of the building with new windows

The proposed design is the same as previously submitted with a few changes to the layout inside.

It proposes a "modern sympathetic" design using brickwork on the front of the building.

The plans state that although the site is not identified for development purposes, the council's policies "promote the efficient use of previously developed land to provide housing".

Furthermore the council "supports significant residential growth in the city centre to assist in addressing the city’s housing need". 

READ MORE: Popular community pub voted the Echo's Pub of the Year

The agent, Southern Planning Practice, has submitted the plans on behalf of Mr Abrkhil.

The original proposal was refused due to changes to the front of the building, the layout of the flats in relation to daylight, access and bin storage, and financial contributions.

No objections were raised to the lack of shared areas on the previous application.

The application is a resubmission of the previous application, however, the configuration of the flats has now changed to one two-bed flat and 11 one-bed flats.

The original plans had included more two-bedroom flats

The six front flats on the first and second floors will consist of translucent walls to allow light into the rooms.

The site was previously home to Liberty's Sports Bar, which showed both Sky Sports and BT Sports.

The venue, which opened on December 8, 2017, also held live music or a DJ every Friday and Saturday night.

The bar open is now permanently closed.

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