Left to rot? Landmark building remains empty shell

A landmark on Gloucester Road remains an empty shell two years after its owner was refused permission to demolish it.

The Edwardian building at the junction of Longmead Avenue was for many years a branch of the National Westminster bank. Latterly it was occupied by Ranstad, an employment agency. It was gutted in 2019 and has remained derelict since

According to City Council planning papers, owner Mr Omid Jalil was given permission in 2015 to convert it into a restaurant. A year later, plans were approved for a two-storey roof extension and nine apartments. Further details of this scheme were given the green light in 2018.

In October 2023 Mr Jalil applied to completely demolish the building. This was refused – but the application revealed that demolition work had already begun more than four years earlier in May 2019.

In April 2024, Mr Jalil was further refused permission to demolish the building while retaining the facades.

In background papers to this application, a city planning officer wrote: “Based on the recent history of works on site as well as planning consents, it cannot be concluded beyond reasonable doubt and in the absence of evidence to the contrary that the building has not been intentionally rendered uninhabitable and unsafe by a person or persons who have an interest in the land.”