Creating New Homes from Empty Retail Space in Hull
A residential scheme at 7 to 9 Whitefriargate, Hull created 3 desirable and affordable homes above shops, in space that had previously been empty or used for storage.
The ambition
The need for urban housing and the opportunity to remodel the upper floors of shops to create residential units was a key objective of the High Street Heritage Action Zone (HSHAZ) programme for Whitefriargate in Hull.
Exploratory discussions with Hull Trinity House, the property's owner and a local charity established in 1369, identified some upper floor spaces that would be ideal to convert to residential use. In fact, Hull Trinity House already had a similar portfolio of properties in Whitefriargate.
Numbers 7, 8 and 9 Whitefriargate are Grade II listed, and originally formed of 3 houses, now shops. Built in 1829-30 by Charles Mountain, Junior for Hull Trinity House, the upper floor has been vacant for several decades other than for use as storage.
Who made it happen?
The HSHAZ was a partnership scheme led by Hull City Council and supported by Historic England.
Hull Trinity House was awarded a grant from the council to deliver this project and commissioned S Voase Ltd, a local construction company, to carry out the work.
As the site had no external amenity area, part of the scheme included designing an outside area for residents to take advantage of the superb views of the Old Town. With technical advice from Seven Architecture the scheme's accredited conservation architects, Hull Trinity House have created 3 well-proportioned flats for affordable rent.
The works were carried out between February and December 2022.
The case study details on this page were supplied by Hull City Council.
Funding sources
The total cost was £662,373, broken down as follows:
- Historic England funding: £433,052
- Hull City Council: £34,894
- Private match funding: £194,427
The results
Previously vacant storage space has been converted into 3 new residential units (2 with 1 bedroom, and 1 with 2 bedrooms). The quality of the scheme at 7 to 9 Whitefriargate makes them desirable homes with all the benefits of urban living.
Local HSHAZ partners have also rebranded the HSHAZ area with the key message 'Old town, new beginning'. To celebrate the completion of a further residential scheme at Customs House, a new set of retail window displays in Whitefriargate celebrate the story of that building and display the new branding.
The investment was not just about creating 3 residential units in Whitefriargate. By highlighting these units to other property owners, it has inspired similar developers to consider other residential opportunities in surrounding buildings that will come to fruition in 2024/25.
In time, a growing local community in this high street will hopefully increase vibrancy in an area that, up to now, has been purely based on daytime retail and evening economies.
Lessons learnt
- Historical buildings often have features that make them unique living spaces, they also create larger than usual homes, and can be brought up to the energy standards of modern units.
- From a commercial point of view, historical buildings are more likely to attract long-term tenants rather than suffering the higher turnover of tenants often associated with many poorer quality schemes above shops.
Looking ahead
Following completion of this scheme, Hull City Council began discussing opportunities for holiday lets and similar residential schemes with several developers interested in investing in Whitefriargate. With the announcement of the East Bank and Albion Square projects to develop these areas for residential use, the council envisages that the mix of uses will be enhanced throughout the Old Town and city centre over the coming 10 years.
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