A WELL-KNOWN Winchester retail building is to be extended and partly turned into apartments, if plans are given the green light.

Applicant James Tibbles want to extend 9-11 High Street, more commonly known as Next, by building a new floor on top of the current three-storey building and, along with its second floor, turn them into luxury flats.

Included in the designs, which have been submitted to Winchester City Council, are plans to have a balcony area on both the High Street and Market Lane sides.

The apartments will also be in a maisonette style, with a living area on the ground floor and bedrooms on the first.

Access to the flats will be from Market Lane.

With stunning views looking over the Cathedral the new apartments are expected to sell for a large sum of money.

Next, situated on the ground and first floors, is not set to be affected by the plans.

A decision is due before the turn of the year.

But the application is concerning the City of Winchester Trust, preservation watchdogs.

Patrick Davies, chairman of its policy committee, said a national decision to make it easier to convert offices into housing was causing problems in Winchester: "This is causing havoc in the valuation of offices in Winchester. They are infinitely more valuable as housing."

He said of the Next application: "There are great worries about it. The incentive to turn every space into housing because developers can make more money out of it.

"What sort of residential will it be. A mix would be a good idea but to have a whole series of affluent ghettoes in the middle of town would not be helpful at all."

The local plan committee was yesterday as the Chronicle went to press discussing a report about the issue. Civic chiefs are discussing a policy, called Article 4, that would such changes harder. But officers are recommending that any changes be delayed 12 months to reduce the chance of the city council being sued.

Mr Davies, a former city councillor, added: "It is all too late. It sounds like an incentive for developers to do as much as they can in the next 12 months."

Catherine Turness, executive director for Winchester BID (Business Improvement District), said of the new trend for housing to take over parts of shops: “Until Next it was not really affecting retail, but this could be the start of a change.

“However, it is affecting business spaces massively, with Capital House being the most notable in recent memory.

“It is a concern (that business space is being turned into residential) but if Article 4 is approved then it will hopefully alleviate the current situation.”