A NEW residential development could see a former swimming baths turned into housing.

Thornton Baths, on Thornton Road, was shut by Bradford Council in 2000 after 70 years of operating, and since its closure has been a gym and snooker hall.

The most recent planning permission for the building, which lies within the Thornton Conservation Area, was for its conversion into a single house.

But now a new application has been submitted to Bradford Council calling for the building to be divided into 11 dwellings - two houses and nine flats.

The front will be converted into the two houses, with one flat in the basement. The other eight flats will be based in the former pool area.

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There will be 12 parking spaces as part of the site's redevelopment.

The application, by a Mr Hussain, says the plans will "bring life back into this important building."

It adds: "It has become apparent that the building is too large to be used as a single dwelling, so the brief was to convert the existing building to houses and apartments.

"The existing form of the building is to remain, with existing features to be repaired or replaced with new similar features.

"The building has been problematic both for the owner and for the wider community, as it is too large for a single dwelling, and doesn’t easily lend itself to an alternative commercial use.

"Our proposal to convert the building to residential houses and apartments will provide the revenue necessary to renovate this key building within the Thornton Conservation Area.

"It will provide much needed residential accommodation, and its proposed use will sit well with the surrounding properties.

"The scheme is an existing building which would have had extensive traffic from users of the former baths."

A decision on the application is expected in August.