Grosvenor House: Plans submitted to Wiltshire Council

It comes after the former day centre was put on the market last year.

That came after the building was listed as an Asset of Community Value (ACV), following a petition from a Community Interest Company (CIC) in February 2021.

Pete Rushforth and Ben Whatsley, who launched the petition and set up the CIC called Rise, Resound, Rebuild (R3), and wanted to turn the former youth centre into a "cultural hub that reinvests profits back into the city".

It is understood that they group was not able to raise the necessary funds to complete the purchase. 

Photograph of the link between the two buildings, which is proposed to be demolished (Image: Planning documents)

The site was last occupied by the council as a council-run community facility.

The site has remained unoccupied and redundant since 2017.

The plans have been submitted by Grosvenor Riverside Ltd. It wants to redevelop the site to provide four new townhouses.

The proposal comprises the change of use and conversion of the existing building, including the erection of a two-storey rear infill extension, the erection of an ancillary garage, and the demolition of the existing links between the buildings.

Two improved formal access points with parking are proposed between the units.

If approved, the dwellings would be a mix of three and four-bedroom properties.

Mark Moores is CEO of the Clydesdale Group, which owns Grosvenor Riverside Ltd, which owns the property.

He says they want to retain as much of the original building as possible. 

Mark said: “People were worried that we’d come along and flatten [the buildings] and stick a load of retirement flats there but that is very much not the case.

“The first section is the conversion of the first four Victorian houses which is roughly 12,000 square foot of accommodation. To build that out is coming out at the best part of £2 million.

“The riverside section will have a build cost not too dissimilar. It’s certainly in the millions."

The Clydesdale group bought the site earlier in the year from Wiltshire Council.

It initially got residential planning permission to convert the existing buildings into residential homes backing onto the river and, and has now submitted a new application to "fine-tune" the plans.

The rear of Grosvenor House (Image: Planning documents)

Mark added: “We’re making the scheme more workable with the view to come up with some large Victorian villas which is essential what the houses would’ve been originally and by doing so we’re able to keep the buildings.

“A lot of developers looked at the site and were keen to demolish them because of the state of the buildings."

If the plans are approved, they hope to start work next year. 

Mark said: "Where else can you have somewhere that backs onto a river three minutes walk from a main line railway station?

“We think they’ll prove to be quite popular."

The planning documents added: "The proposal is an exciting and deliverable scheme to reinstate this vacant building in the city centre, contributing to the vitality and vibrancy of Salisbury. Indeed, the proposal will bring back into use a building that is considered to contribute to the setting of the Salisbury Conservation Area."

To view the planning documents, click here.