Plans to turn a historic Huddersfield building into apartments have been unveiled – two weeks after it was granted listed building status.

Kirklees Council is seeking residential use for Waverley Chambers at Kirkgate.

The building, once office space, is now surplus to requirements and the council has applied for a change of use consent to create six flats on the upper levels for social housing.

The building’s three shops at street level will remain.

Its listed building status was confirmed last week by English Heritage.

The planning application says: “Due to the restructuring of services within the local authority it has taken the decision that the offices are no longer needed for their intended use (and is) free for disposal.”

It adds the council is “seeking to convert the offices into six one-bed dwellings for social housing due to close proximity with local transport links and amenities such as affordable food and clothing retail outlets.

“The local authority has a duty to supply social housing at a volume stipulated by the central Government and where possible seeks to utilise assets already in local authority possession which this application seeks to address.

“As the building is listed, the continued occupancy (and) use of the building is desirable to ensure the building and its locality do not appear to decline in condition and therefore have a detrimental effect on the streetscape whilst maintaining the condition of the existing fabric.”

Huddersfield Civic Society had campaigned for the building to be protected and its listing status means the valuable features will be protected.

The Victorian Waverley Chambers was developed by the Ramsden Estate and occupies a prominent corner location by the Market Place.

It was a temperance hotel and designed by renowned architect William H Crossland, who was responsible for several major Huddersfield buildings including the old post office, Estate Buildings, and Byram Arcade.

It is the second such application by the council in recent weeks.

Earlier this month it applied for permission to create 15 apartments in the imposing Estate Buildings in Railway Street.

Again, the council no longer requires the office space there.

The change of use application is open to public comments at Kirklees Council until November 18.