A BID to flatten an office building on the former Preedy's Tobacco site in Dudley town centre and replace it with a huge apartment block has been submitted to planners.

A developer wants to flatten Northgate House on the High Street and build a block housing 74 apartments - a mix of one and two-bedroom flats - in its place.

The 1,793 square metre site was home to Preedy's Tobacco's warehouse.

The warehouse was demolished in the 1950s and replaced with offices and warehouses for Hanson Brewery, which was on the opposite side of the High Street.

On the takeover of the Hanson company by Banks Brewery and the subsequent demolition of the brewery, around the middle of the 1980s, the site became redundant and was put up for sale.

A section of the original Preedy's building is still visible on site in the east-facing wall which has the painted name still visible - which the developers propose to keep to preserve part of the site's heritage.

It will be the boundary of a large terraced garden.

Dudley News: How the front of the new building could look How the front of the new building could look (Image: Anthony Hope mciat Architectural Consultant)Notes to planners as part of an online application state: "The upper floors are vacant at present whilst the lower ground level fronting King Street is utilised as a Car repair/ MOT business."

Plans show the lower ground floor would be used as parking for around 42 cars, with access via King Street.

Dudley News: The front of the existing building onto High StreetThe front of the existing building onto High Street (Image: Google)

The apartment block would be three-storeys high on High Street, rising to six-storeys fronting onto King Street.

Notes to planners state: "Following an on-site visit by the planning department they requested that the High street façade be broken up in the form of town houses.

"We have taken these comments on board and will create a façade that looks like town houses with step backs at entrances to break up a flat frontage."

They go on to say that "a more detailed design statement will be prepared to accompany the main application once the design has been finalised and manufacturers details and specifications have been received."