THE historic Hadrian House in Hexham looks set to be transformed into eight new apartments.

The Grade II listed building, in Market Street, is currently owned by Northumberland County Council. It is used as an office base for various council departments, including its customer information centre for Hexham.

But the building was put up for sale earlier this year as part of the cash-strapped council’s policy of rationalising its building portfolio.

A planning application, submitted by Kirkwhelpington-based Tahir Properties, for change of use and conversion of an existing office building to create eight new apartments, was approved this week.

The authority’s Tynedale local area planning committee granted permission at its meeting on Tuesday, and also granted listed building consent.

Planning officer Melanie Francis said the three-storey building would be used to accommodate the apartments, but its original features would be maintained.

She said there would be no on-site parking and space to the rear of the property would provide a communal amenity area.

Hadrian House was originally a town house before it became a Wesleyan chapel, and then Hexham’s post office, before it became offices for the Department of the Environment in the 1970s.