Watford Borough Council has been notified of plans to turn Mothercare's headquarters in Watford into homes.

Earlier this year, it was announced that Mothercare had sold its office building in Cherry Tree Road for £15m as part of a cost-cutting drive.

Now, an application has been submitted to the council to change the use of the site from office to residential.

The applicant does not need permission to build the homes, under permitted development rights, but does need to notify the council of the change of use.

The British retailer sold the 100,000 sq ft UK headquarters and adjacent warehouse on Cherry Tree Road to BYM Capital and signed a ten-year lease under the sale-and-leaseback deal.

The struggling retailer had to make the savings after a Company Voluntary Arrangement: a way for limited companies who are insolvent to pay creditors over a fixed period.

BYM converts offices to residential under permitted development rights.

Permitted development rights caused controversy earlier this month after a government planning inspector ruled that 15 tiny flats in Wellstones in Watford town centre could go ahead, despite the plans including some flats with no windows.

Harrow Times:

The building in Wellstones

It led to Mayor of Watford Peter Taylor writing to the Housing Secretary calling for a review of permitted development rights.

Former Watford Mayor Dorothy Thornhill raised the subject in the House of Lords urging the government to speed up its review of the rights - with the government admitting it would learn lessons.