A Halesowen office building is set to be demolished to make way for new apartments after a ruling from Dudley planners.

An application has been approved for offices on Summer Hill to be bulldozed for the construction of eight new dwellings.

The new building will be three stories high with some sections at two stories to the side and rear and contain six two-bedroom units designed for three people and two larger units to accommodate up to four people.

A report for planners from council officers said: “The proposed scheme has made full and efficient use of the land and the scheme conforms to the local context and character of the area.”

The design of the proposed block provides a density of 133 dwellings per hectare which is above the standard of 50 dwellings per hectare, two fewer parking spaces than the expected standards and habitable room window separation under standards however officers concluded the need for new housing was more important.

The officers’ report said: “Whilst the proposed development would be of a high density and have a slight shortfall in separation distance, parking provision and garden spaces, given the tilted balance, weight should also be attached to the provision of residential development.”

The vacant site on the corner of Summer Hill and Powell Street is close to Halesowen town centre and has been plagued by anti-social behaviour, illegal parking and fly-tipping.

A statement from Gould Singleton Architects in support of the application said: “The proposals have been designed in order to respect the local urban setting and adjoining residential and commercial users within the vicinity.

“Careful planning has been taken to balance the height and mass of the apartments in relation to the adjacent residential dwellings.  

“Overall it is believed that the proposal would bring many benefits to the site and drastically improve the appearance of the plot.”