A row of riverside garages in Keswick could be given a new lease of life after plans were drawn up to convert them into housing.
The application has been put forward by Martin Furness, of Keswick, who owns the garages and lock-ups in Penrith Road which border the River Greta.
Mr Furness, a driving instructor and minibus operator, is seeking permission to demolish the existing building to make way for a residential development.
The site, which occupies a prominent position on the approach to the town centre, is above the River Greta and has been used as minibus parking and repair facility for Furness of Keswick Ltd.
However, insurance cover on the building is no longer available without extensive improvements which would mean raising the floor levels, making it not viable for vehicle access.
“It is a bit of an eyesore too,” added Mr Furness, who said the plan was to build two houses on the site.
The application, which was lodged with the Lake District National Park Authority on 30th October, is for outline planning permission.
It would look to replace the garages with housing in a similar design to other properties close by.
A detailed flood assessment plan has been drawn up by Bingham Yates Ltd and submitted with the application which states it is in a “more vulnerable” area and would require a suspended sub structure and be of flood resilient construction.
During high river levels in 2012, some gardens in a nearby housing development on the same side of Penrith Road were washed into the River Greta, prompting safety fears.
The reference for comments on the planning application is 7/2020/2241.
