Rentals planned for ‘long vacant’ Inverness city centre office space above Victorian Market, under plans submitted to Highland Council
Long vacant city centre office space looks set for a new use as rental accommodation after plans were lodged with Highland Council.
Applicant Gokhan Turkmenoglu is seeking permission to turn empty office space above the Victorian Market entrance in Queensgate into “letting units”.
If approved, the second floor property at 11 Queensgate will be converted into four lets.
The second floor is currently home to eight office rooms and several walk-in closets.
The proposals would see the layout altered to create four holiday lets, two of which would feature separate bedrooms and living/kitchen rooms, with the other two having open plan bed/living/kitchen rooms. All four would have en-suite bathrooms with showers.
The proposals would result in some internal alterations to the graded b-listed building, although there would be no alteration to the exterior facing into Queensgate. To the rear of the property there would be "some penetration" of the wall to "meet technical standards for ventilation".
In a supporting statement issued with the application, the agents for the applicant said: "The accommodation was used for many years as offices but has now lain unoccupied for a number of years.
"My client's intention is to convert this accommodation in to four letting units aiming at at occupation by two people maximum for long-term stay with the possibility of additional occupants on a short-term basis.
"This proposal is in line with the stated intention of the Highland Council to return properties currently unoccupied within Inverness city centre to residential use."
They continued: "My client is committed to minimising the extent of intervention to the building and retaining its existing character wherever possible. This would include retaining moulded cornices wherever possible, retaining existing doors where possible and refurbishing existing windows with secondary glazing added internally.
"The accommodations is laid out such that disruption to the fabric of the building is minimised, with no alteration to the elevation facing Queensgate."