ONE of Ilkley's most prominent buildings overlooking The Grove could be converted into residential apartments.

A planning application has been submitted to Bradford Council by Mr Toby Morton, of Yorplace Ltd, to convert 1 - 5 The Grove and 6 Wells Road, Ilkley from commercial business and service use to residential apartments. The proposed change will accommodate ten apartments.

The building is currently home to the Ilkley office of Dacre, Son & Hartley and is the firm's head office and the base for many of the company's professional disciplines.

If the application is successful the property showroom will remain unchanged and the estate agency will continue to occupy the whole of the ground floor space.

Patrick McCutcheon, head of residential at Dacre, Son & Hartley, said: “Whilst 1-5 The Grove has been our home for many decades, the office space is incredibly inefficient. Over the years what is now office space has previously been upper floor sales shops, a cafe and residential apartments. Four staircases and multiple small rooms do not suit modern working practices nor our ambitions in respect of carbon reduction.

“Our occupancy of Ilkley’s prime property showroom will remain unchanged and we will continue to occupy the whole of the ground floor space and undertake some additional works within the existing naturally lit lower ground floor space. Ilkley will remain home to our central HR and marketing functions as well as the special projects team.

“As a firm we have considerable space across our 21 office network including a purpose built 3,000 sq ft office in Harrogate where our land, development and agricultural management teams will now be based, whilst central accounts are relocating to Bingley which is far more convenient for our colleagues who operate in that department, reducing their travel times and environmental impact.”