A PLANNING application looking to partially demolish and convert a three-storey building which used to house Poundstretcher on Rhyl’s High Street has been lodged.

Applicant Mr Vikas Kakar, of Spire Group Real Estate Ltd, is looking to convert the first and second floors of 113 High Street into four self-contained apartments.

He also wants to replace the “unsympathetic shop front” with a design “suitable for the conservation area”.

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The property has been vacant since 2018, with amending the shop front considered essential to allow for residential access to the upper floors.

Extracts from a design and access statement, prepared by Singh Fudge Architects, read: “The proposal seeks to change of use to residential across the first and second floors, with the retail offering retained at ground floor.

“As part of the new access design, the proposal will also make improvements to the shop front design, to be in keeping with historic shop frontages as detailed in the Rhyl Central Conservation Area Appraisal.

“113 High Street currently suffers, like many, from upper floors that are generally under-used or vacant.

“The proposal for 113 High Street offers an opportunity to provide much-needed housing, whilst retaining an activated street, through the retention of the retail offering to the ground floor.

“The redesigned shop front will improve and attempt to alleviate a weakness in the current condition of the conservation area of modern shop fronts with overly large signage and advertising dominating the street scape.”

The property measures 230 square metres, with some demolition of the existing roof and floors required to facilitate the inclusion of a new lightwell.

A new entrance for the retained retail provision on the ground floor and the entrance to the apartments will also be included.

Demolition is considered “necessary”, in this instance, to replace the “inappropriate” shopfront.

Poundstretcher is now based in Rhyl at Greenfield Place Retail Park.

A decision on whether to approve the application is due from Denbighshire County Council’s planning committee by April 29.

The statement added: “The portion of building to be demolished is not original and does not have any conservation merit.

“The proposals seek to replace the shop front identified as insensitive, resulting in a building that will become a positive contributor to the conservation area.”