A FRESH application has been lodged to transform an empty city office block into more than 50 flats – less than a year after developers were already given the go-ahead for fewer apartments.

London-based Monopro wants to create 51 mostly two and one-bed apartments in the former Capita building in Castle Street.

The developer applied for permission for 38 apartments in May last year, but withdrew the application in June after Wiltshire Council raised concerns over a lack of parking spaces.

It then proposed a new scheme in November that would have seen fewer people living in the same number of flats.

This was given prior approval in December.

But now the company has submitted a third application to determine whether the council would agree to more flats.

It is proposed that there would also be 50 car parking spaces, but the council previously calculated that the development would require 73 parking spaces for fewer flats.

However the developers have insisted that the number of parking spaces is “entirely acceptable due to the highly sustainable location of the development”.

Within the plans Monopro states: “The amended prior approval scheme for 51 residential dwellings does not include any additional physical works to the building or any groundworks.

“Indeed, it simply involves the re-configuration of the layout to make more efficient use of the space available.

“As such, based on the average car ownership within the ward, the proposal will provide more than an adequate amount of parking.”

The authority’s highways officer also deemed that the number of parking spaces was acceptable.

The planning application said: “It is clear that the proposal is in a highly sustainable location; provides parking provision in line with the average car ownership within the ward; and would not create a material increase in vehicle movements given the lawful existing use.”