A HIGH Street office block which has stood empty for seven years is set to be converted into a three-storey block of flats.

Pilgrim House, opposite Waitrose in Billericay High Street, was originally used as an office complex before being taken over by housing association Swan Housing in 2017.

Originally, plans were approved to transform the building into 17 new homes but no work has taken place since.

Now, developer Klara Pilgrim Ltd has submitted plans to Basildon Council in a bid to convert the building into 24 flats.

Billericay Tory councillor, Phil Turner, said: “With this development, I would be hoping they can provide something useful, not at the expense of people feeling used by developers.

“If you ask people on the High Street, they may be unaware it is there until there is an influx of activity on the site.

“The devil is really in the detail. We would need to be looking for one car parking space per dwelling as a minimum and in some towns, developers do like to try their luck by offering no parking spaces.

“I hope they are of a reasonable mind to see that may not work and they can provide us with the spaces residents actually need.”

The plans were submitted to Basildon Council on Monday and propose 18 studio flats, four one-bed apartments and two two-bedroom flats, alongside 25 parking spaces.

Mr Turner backed having additional homes in the High Street to try to boost footfall, but called on the building to be maintained as it falls in a conservation area.

He added: “Footfall along the high street will be improved and must be increased. We had the Café Nero development and if the parking is resolved, it is a bonus.

“I am always hesitant but I am glad someone is just getting on with this and will allow us to net some footfall and get another 50 people on the high street to keep it vibrant.

“If it fits in with what there has been on the high street, I would call it a good development.”