PLANNING chiefs have been recommended to approve proposals that would see more than 500 apartments and a multi-storey car park built in the town centre.

The development management committee will decide on two major applications at its Town Hall meeting on Wednesday.

Lane End Developments Construction is seeking to demolish the former Kwik Save supermarket, on Academy Street, and build an apartment block with 144 properties.

The existing building, the Skate Academy, is no longer in use, with the land currently operating as a car park.

As well as plans for 144 apartments – 110 two-bed properties and 34 one-bed properties – in the block, the blueprints include the development of reception, retail, refuse and car parking areas.

Members are recommended to approve the plans subject to conditions and the signing of a section 106 agreement, which would provide £70,000 towards a package of 'sustainable transport improvement measures'.

The committee will also decide on Palmus Developments' scheme proposing the construction of 362 apartments, as well as a public nine-storey car park, on land on Winwick Street and John Street.

The firm is proposing to demolish an existing building and carry out remediation work at the site prior to the construction of the two buildings.

One would be an eight-storey block with 362 properties, 593m2 of commercial floorspace and communal facilities, with the other being the car park with 796 spaces, in addition to provision for cyclists.

The apartment block would comprise 253 one-bed and 98 two-bed apartments, eight two-bed 'duplexes' and three four-bed 'duplexes'.

It would not have any dedicated parking spaces.

The committee has been recommended to approve the application subject to conditions and the signing of a section 106 agreement, which would deliver £75,000 specifically for a site 'travel plan'.

In total, 506 apartments will be built if both schemes go ahead.