A PLAN to convert the empty floors above a busy late-night city centre takeaway into flats has been turned down for the council because they would be too small.

The owners of Shakeeys Heaven in Angel Street, Worcester, applied to convert the space above the takeaway and shisha bar into one and two-bed flats but the move was thwarted by planners at Worcester City Council who rejected the plan for not meeting size standards.

City council planners said the proposed two one-bed flats, which measure 33 and 35 square metres respectively, would be “undersized” and not meet the 39 square metre standards.

The proposed two-bed flat, which should be at least 61 square metres, would only measure almost 48 square metres.

A report outlining the council’s planning officers’ recommendation said the benefits of allowing the flats were “insufficient” to outweigh the harm it would cause, calling the plan “inappropriate.”

The council’s planning officers also said the lack of information in the application on how the flats would be protected from late-night noise in Shakeeys below, and the rest of Angel Street, meant the work could not be backed.

A report outlining the objection said: “The application fails to demonstrate that future occupiers of the development would not be adversely impacted by noise and disturbance from the existing ground floor premises.

Angel Street is one of the city centre’s busiest late-night spots with hundreds using the area’s takeaways and fast-food restaurants after bars and clubs have closed.

Shakeeys currently opens until 5am every day.

A statement included with the application by Aftab Latif who runs Shakeeys had said the flats would provide a long-term “solution” for the mostly empty building and give it a new lease of life.

“The building has been lying vacant for a few years, the proposed alterations and refurbishment will facilitate long-term sustainable solution … and is considered to enhance the character and appearance of the conservation area,” it said.

“The facade of the building largely remains unchanged … and implementation of current proposals would ensure that the property is retained with retail use at the ground floor and residential use on the upper floors [which] will give a new lease of life to the building and will be an important contributing factor to sustainable regeneration of Angel Street.”