WORK has resumed on a contentious project to convert a Runcorn office complex into flats.

The Halton 5 building on Northway is being turned into 113 one and two-bed apartments in line with the existing 2020 planning consent despite fears the new dwellings will be ‘matchbox flats’.

Work did stall after Nottingham-based developer Featherfoot Halton 5 Ltd went into administration in May. But the administrator has confirmed the main funder of the original scheme, Financial Funding Limited, is providing additional credit to complete the conversion, according to Mike Amesbury, Runcorn's MP.

A third party, understood to be RCD Electrical Yorkshire Ltd, is now on site and aims to finish the homes by December.

Mike Amesbury, Labour MP for Runcorn & Helsby, who had to vacate his office at Halton 5 when the flats plan got the green light, was critical of the scheme from the start, along with Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service.

But their objections could not be taken into account with respect to 108 of the 113 flats as they were allowed under permitted development rights and did not require full planning permission.

Full planning permission was, however, necessary for five of the apartments, as well as a gym, plus external alterations, and was granted.

Mr Amesbury had argued some of the flats would be below Government’s minimum recommended space standards. The development did not ‘answer the need for high quality affordable housing for families’ and car parking appeared ‘insufficient’.

The MP said the development made no contribution to local services and infrastructure and would ‘very likely’ lead to an increase in police, fire and council resources being required.

Fire chiefs said the conversion was ‘highly likely’ to compromise the compartmentation needed to prevent fire spread. In addition, a ‘similar’ nearby project had resulted in firefighters and police having ‘considerable interaction with the building due to issues at the site with a minority of tenants’.

Mr Amesbury said this week: “I’m glad to see workers back on site because I’d rather the building was completed rather than left derelict.

“However, my original concerns remain. The majority of this office conversion went ahead with very little scrutiny in terms of design quality and infrastructural requirements as allowed under the Tories’ 2013 permitted development policy.

“That was about the Conservatives giving a leg up to their developer friends. But my constituents deserve decent quality housing, not matchbox flats converted from a 1970s office complex.”