A planned new Derbyshire apartment complex will not contain any affordable housing because officials say a discount would still make them unaffordable.

Derbyshire Dales District Council is set to approve plans to turn former Derbyshire County Council office blocks in Wellington Street and Chesterfield Road, Matlock, into apartments.

Lancashire-based firm Sterling Property Limited already gained permission for 38 apartments in a number of former office blocks on the Chatsworth Hall site in February and is now recommended for approval to gain permission for a further 68 apartments and four commercial units – totalling 106 homes.

The firm had pitched a plan to provide just seven affordable homes on the site – 10 per cent – due to policies in place aimed at bringing vacant buildings back into use and saving them potential dereliction.

The Chatsworth Hall office block in Chesterfield Road, Matlock. Image from Ropergate Architectural.

placeholder image — The Chatsworth Hall office block in Chesterfield Road, Matlock. Image from Ropergate Architectural.

However, no housing associations have registered interest in the homes, a council report says, and housing officials say the proposed homes, even with a 20 per cent affordable rent discount (80 per cent of the local market rate), the properties would still be unaffordable for their intended audience.

Instead, the council has asked for £45,000 per home to build affordable housing elsewhere, totalling £318,248.

The average house price in the Derbyshire Dales, as of April, was £348,000, says the Office for National Statistics – the highest in the East Midlands – while average monthly rent was £797.

Meanwhile, the average flat price in the Dales was £188,000 and the average apartment rent was £634.

What the proposed new apartment blocks at Chatsworth Hall in Matlock could look like. Image from Ropergate Architecture.

The developer has been asked to pay £68,000 for NHS improvements, £11,600 for children’s play areas, £10,000 for a five-year travel plan including bus taster tickets, £9,900 for park and gardens improvements, £5,144 for new library stock and £4,000 for new allotments.

There would be 116 car parking spaces provided on the site for would-be residents, 13 electric vehicle charging points, 68 bicycle spots and 18 spaces for the commercial units – with all of this to support the total site occupancy of 106 apartments.

Swift bricks are to be installed in the new build properties due to the occurrence of the high-flying birds locally.

Council planners, recommending the scheme for approval, with final sign-off by councillors, said: “The development, whilst not providing on-site affordable housing, will provide the equivalent financial contribution via planning obligations. This will secure more appropriate affordable housing across the district.

“The district council would be in a position to use the contributions in line with local needs in terms of mix and type of affordable housing.

“Overall, it is considered that the public benefits of this proposal outweigh the harm to the significance of the Matlock Bank Conservation Area.

“There is not a strong reason to refuse this application on heritage grounds when considering the state of the existing site and the scheme’s delivery of sustainable new housing.

“The proposal would redevelop the site, creating two new apartment blocks in place of the vacant and dilapidated office block.

“The development will provide 68 new apartments, making a notable contribution to the district council’s housing supply which currently stands at 1.36 years when a five year supply is required. This weighs significantly in favour of the proposal.”