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A run-down former gym near Hamilton Square could soon be transformed into housing after plans were submitted to Wirral Council.
The four-storey building located at 63 Argyle Street, which was previously known as Rocky's Gym, could become a 24-bed house, according to Birkenhead News. That is, if the application is approved.
Currently, the building is derelict with missing windows.
Planning documents state the conversation aims to improve the building's appearance while creating new homes. The steel windows there now would be replaced with new aluminium frames to match the 20th-century character.
Documents also state the rooms would be marketed to young professionals who are in the proccess of career development and aren't permanently settled. Specifically, those who do not spend more than five years in one location before they move, and those just looking for a room to lay their head, close to local shops, and that have fast Wi-Fi. Very specific, indeed.
The hope, according to the documents, is that Birkenhead's ongoing regeneration will attract many young professionals who will need this type of accommodation.
This latest application follows a previous HMO proposal for the site, which was refused at appeal after the council failed to decide within the required timeframe.
The inspector found that several proposed rooms would have provided poor living conditions for occupants. Concerns centred on the outlook from rooms on the first and second floors, which would face an internal void, as well as all ground-floor rooms.
The new application states that issues regarding the upper floors have been addressed, though the ground floor concerns would be much more difficult to resolve.
Still, no formal decision has been made on the occupation of the former gym yet.
