Bid to turn Dukes Keep office block in Southampton into 150 flats

Duke's Keep on Marsh Lane could be turned into 147 residential units following proposals submitted to Southampton City Council.

The proposals details plans for 86 one-bed flats and 61 two-bed flats.

In a covering letter, the plans breakdown the proposals explaining that building one, which has 14 floors, with house 78 one-bed flats, 52 two-bed flats and one penthouse apartment, and building two, which has two floors, with accommodate eight one-bed flats and eight two-bed flats.

There will be 95 car parking spaces provided on the ground floor, five of which will be disabled, and 168 cycle parking spaces of which 16 will be short stay or visitor spaces.

In the covering it letter, it states: "Overall, the centre of Southampton, schools, medical facilities, employment, leisure and a variety of retail destinations are within easy walking distance of the proposal site.

"As such, walking is a viable and applicable mode of transport to and from the proposal site for a wide variety of journey purposes, and many journeys can be made without the use of a car.

"Considering that the roads local to the site are urban in character, and that the local topography is generally gentle, cycling provides an opportunity for residents to travel throughout the City by a sustainable, active mode of transport."

Currently, the building is used as an office block for around 25 charities and local organisations.

Last year, the groups using Duke’s Keep were told after Christmas that they were unable to gain entry to the Marsh Lane tower block after it was deemed "unsafe".

Managers said that work needed to make the building safe was likely to cost upwards of £100,000.

The lockout meant that charities, artists and one of the city’s biggest homeless organisations were left without premises as the management company tried to get owners of the building to pay for the repairs.