PLANNERS have refused permission to turn a prominent city centre office block into flats.

The plans would have seen the City Exchange, a former Council office next to the NCP car park on Hall Ings, turned into 161 studio apartments.

But planners raised concerns that the flats would "have a limited floor area" of only around 16 sq m each, with some shared facilities.

Their report said the "restricted size of the proposed rooms" meant they did not appear capable of "independent habitation".

It said: "This concern is exacerbated by the presence of large floor areas which are identified as 'ancillary residential' accommodation, suggesting that each room is reliant on shared facilities."

The planners' report said the development sounded more like student accommodation, although the plans didn't say so.

It said there were no indicative room layouts and Council planners had asked the applicant, Anthony Lupton, "how the proposal would function", but no further details were supplied.

It says Mr Lupton, had applied for 'prior approval' for the works - a way of more easily applying to convert offices into homes without the need for a full planning application.

But it says as the plan was "akin to a serviced student accommodation" rather than separate flats, it would require a full application.

Mr Lupton was unavailable for comment yesterday.

Last month, council bosses said they were concerned by the number of plans they were getting for cheap studio and one-bedroom flats in the city centre.

Yesterday, Councillor Val Slater, executive member for housing and planning at Bradford Council, welcomed the planners' decision.

She said: "I'm pleased. What we are looking for is good quality accommodation in the city centre for quite a varied mix of people and uses."

Cllr Slater said the plans for the City Exchange appeared to show the residents would be expected to share kitchens and bathrooms.

She said: "If it is student accommodation, then it needs to be looked at in that light.

"But I was concerned that it was having shared kitchens and bathroom facilities. Most modern student accommodation does have en-suite facilities for students.

"We are in the 21st century, not back in the day when people were used to sharing."

The application is one of a number of flats plans being considered in Bradford city centre.

Last month, plans were unveiled for an 11-storey development of 240 one- and two-bedroom flats at a prominent gateway to Bradford city centre.

The site, at the junction of Hamm Strasse and Manor Row, is currently used as a car park.