PLANS by developers in Winchester to turn two city centre office blocks into new homes have met with only partial success.

One of the schemes has been given the go-ahead, but the other property will not be converted after city planning chiefs decided it was more valuable as office space.

The development given the green light is Granville House on St Peter's Street, a former Victorian church that was converted into the Workhouse art studio in 1977.

It will now be completely renovated and transformed to make way for four two-bedroom and eight one-bedroom flats.

Speaking at a meeting of the Winchester City Council planning and development control panel, developer Stuart Cassy told councillors that something needed to be done as the building had stood vacant for more than two-years and would continue to deteriorate. The scheme did attract criticism from local residents and the City of Winchester Trust, all of whom objected on the grounds it would cause more parking problems on the street, that the density was too high, and that existing residents would be overlooked.

But passing the plans, members of the panel said they were supporting the scheme because as well as providing much needed new small homes, it would also help preserve an important building.

However, a similar scheme for another office block on St Peter's Street, Dolphin House, did not pass the planners scrutiny.

Isis Property Management, wanted to convert the four-storey office block into 14 new homes ranging from four-bedrooms to two-bedrooms.

Members decided it meant the loss of valuable office space for new or smaller businesses and that no affordable housing had been included in the plans.