New flats approved above Peterborough pizza restaurant in the city centre

Five new flats will be created in Peterborough city centre after plans were approved.

The new one bedroom flats will be created by converting office space above at Pizza Parlour at Fortune Buildings on Cowgate.

The three-storey Victorian property will now be extended one the first floor and have a third floor added to the rear of the building. The extension has been designed as not to impact the views of the Cathedral from Crescent Bridge.

The building frontage will not change.

The application states: “5 Cowgate will remain a mixed-use building, however with the current trend of offices moving out of the city centre, it has become increasingly difficult to attract small business into the city centre. Additionally, with the recent redevelopment of the city centre, pedestrian, cycle and public transport into and out the centre has been greatly improved, allowing building owners to capitalise on the demand for more housing in the city.

"Number 5 Cowgate will provide its residents with fantastic access to the train station, bus station and pedestrian access to the cathedral and the thriving city centre’s many great restaurants and bars. This access negates the requirement for vehicular transport.

"This follows the trend employed by recent conversions on Priestgate, Broadway and on Westgate (the former jobcentre), which were all former office/ commercial buildings converted to offer high quality residential accommodation within the city centre.”

The application can be viewed on Peterborough City Council’s planning portal using reference 23/00385/FUL.