Century-old Chorley furniture and carpet store to be turned into flats and new shops

Dickinsons furniture and carpet store was a fixture of Chorley town centre for almost a century before the shutters recently came down for good on its premises at the corner of Market Street and George Street.

Chorley Council’s planning committee has now given the nod to a bid to turn the first and second floors into flats and subdivide the ground floor into a series of smaller retail outlets.

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Peter Gilkes, the agent for the application, told members that the outlet had been “renowned” in the town and had passed through three generations of the same family. However, he said the prime plot - which was largely rebuilt in the early 1980s - was now considered “too large” for the needs of any other businesses that might take it over.

“The intention is to retain retail use of the ground floor - albeit creating smaller, more appropriate, more suitable-sized shops. On the first and second floors, the space will be converted into self-contained apartments [which] will provide much-needed accommodation in the location,” Mr. Gilkes explained.

An objection was lodged over the absence of any dedicated parking for future residents of the apartments, but principal planning officer Iain Crossland said the site was “highly sustainable”, because of its proximity to public transport options. An indoor cycle rack area has also been proposed, councillors heard.

The committee welcomed the plans, for which they were required to give prior approval under permitted development rules.

Cllr Danny Gee said that the conversion - which chimes with the council's attempts to bring more residential properties into the town centre - would “regenerate that part of Chorley, [which] has gone down a little bit”.

He also lauded the inclusion of two-bedroomed flats within the scheme, for which he said there was a “great need” in the borough.

However, Cllr Alistair Morwood - who sits on the committee and is also the cabinet member for planning - said while he was pleased to see the ground floor would remain in retail use, he hoped the businesses that set up shop there would be “appropriate” given that “people will be living above”.

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A report by council planning officers also noted that the building is adjoined by the White Bull pub and that there is an events venue and bar within the Masonic Hall on the opposite side of George Street., which both “have the potential for noise generation”.

But the document added that the presence of those facilities would be “a known factor to potential residents”.