PLANNING applications submitted to Darlington Borough Council in March include:

Conversion of offices to 22-person large house of multiple occupancy with conversion of existing roof space and erection of pitched roof extension over existing flat roof to create additional second floor accommodation.

The application site is situated on Whessoe Road, Darlington. To the north is a private road formally associated with TATA Steel. Beyond this are commercial buildings and the Kings Centre, a Church based organisation.

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To the east are apartments and residential buildings on William Street and Harry Street.

Signal House itself is currently in mixed use, with two retails units on the ground floor and offices to the first floor.

The two retail units to the ground floor will be unaffected by the proposals. The HMO will utilise the existing entrance to the office block on Whessoe Road, on the right hand side of the building.

To the ground floor a communal kitchen/dining room, separate male and female toilets and laundry facilities.

To the first floor will be 11 bedrooms, five of which will have ensuite bathrooms, and a separate shower block.

To the second floor will be a further 11 bedrooms, one of which will have an ensuite, and there will be a separate shower/toilet block to serve the remaining rooms.

To facilitate the creation of these bedrooms, a small second floor extension is proposed on the flat roof above the entrance.

This will be finished in materials to match the existing building.

The pitch of the existing roof has also been increased by 40 degrees, which has resulted in the ridge height of the building increasing by 1.2metres.

Another application is for the change of use of the adjacent paddock to be incorporated into the domestic curtilage (retrospective) with the erection of a garage building attached to the existing garage and installation of solar PV panels to eastern garage roof slope at the Methodist Chapel, Houghton Le Side, Darlington.
The design of the garage extension reflects the way extensions have been added to the former chapel with connecting gables facing the main road. 

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The garage will be built from matching stonework and a slate roof. The garage roof incorporates Solar PV panels to the south elevation which will allow the property to benefit from renewable energy with the use of a storage battery too. 
The size of the garage is to allow vehicles to enter/exit and manoeuvre in the garage. 
The internal depth of 6.45m is just over the minimum 6m required for a garage depth. 
The 11.25m internal width is provided to adjoin the existing garage and allow a garage door to face the driveway.