A historic Georgian building in Rochdale that once housed a vibrant nightclub could be turned into housing.
The property, dating back to the 1700s and located at the junction of Drake Street and Smith Street, was initially known as the Wellington Hotel. Over the past two centuries, it has seen various owners and uses.
The upper levels, which have remained unoccupied for several years, were previously the site of 'The Nile' nightclub/bar.
Until recently, the ground floor served as the Bombay Brew restaurant, but it is now vacant.
Cassel & Fletcher, the developers, are proposing to repurpose the upper floors of the Grade-II listed edifice into 10 apartments, alongside plans to establish a seven-bedroom house of multiple occupation (HMO).
The residential mix would include one and two-bedroom apartments, as well as a single studio flat, while the commercial space on the ground floor remains outside the scope of this project.
The development scheme does not encompass car parking but it is near Rochdale's Metrolink stop.
A heritage statement attached to the planning application said: "It was built between about 1764, when the vicar gained powers to grant building leases, and 1795, as a town house for Thomas Smith (1743-1806), a wealthy woollen merchant who built fulling mills behind it.
"It was later a school, then from 1818 the Wellington Hotel. Between 1825 and 1839 the police commissioners met here. In 1844, the building was still owned by the Smith family and the hotel was run by Elizabeth Richardson."
A verdict on the plans will be delivered by Rochdale Council's planning team in the coming months.
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