A plan to create 10 new smaller flats in neighbouring historic buildings on a busy Hereford street can now go ahead.

Messrs Jones of Philip Morris and Sons, the hardware and toy shop on Widemarsh Street, wanted to convert the upper floors of the grade II listed buildings into one and two-bedroom apartments for open-market sale.

The upper floors have up till now been used as retail, storage and office space for the shop, while the upstairs of the Mansion House at 25 Widemarsh Street above the former Cellar Door restaurant “has been underused for over 100 years”, the application says.

The plan “allows the building to be meaningfully reused creating highly sustainable accommodation within the centre of Hereford”, while leaving the ground-floor commercial space unaffected, the planning application said.

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The properties have been much altered over time, evident particularly at the rear. The plan “provides a softer and lighter feel to the existing rear austere facades of the mid-20th century boxes”, according to the application.

A new staircase and new internal walls are among the planned internal changes. Main access to the flats will be off existing doors onto Widemarsh Street.

Herefordshire Council’s historic buildings officer Conor Ruttledge said that despite revisions to the design made during the application process, he maintained an objection to the siting of one kitchen “in one of the most historically sensitive rooms” at the front of the Mansion House, and to aspects of the rear exterior design.

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Hereford Civic Society described the early-Georgian Mansion House, dating from 1697 according to a plaque outside, as the earliest surviving brick-built house in Hereford.

But by “failing to understand the building”, the application did not address treatment of its surviving elements thoroughly enough.

The planned new internal staircase in 21 and 23 meanwhile “will result in distinct loss of historic fabric”, the society said, and concluded that there was “no clear and convincing justification for the harm to the listed buildings”.

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But the council's housing development officer Tina Wood said: “There is a need for one- and two-bed units within the city, and the conversion of these properties will go towards increasing accommodation within Hereford.”

Planning officer Elsie Morgan concluded that the harm identified by the buildings officer was “less than substantial” compared to the public benefit from the scheme.