Tricorn House – Frequently asked questions

Tricorn House is a very prominent building in Cainscross that has been derelict for decades and a source of growing concern in our local community. The Council has been pressing the new owners for action to bring the building back into positive use. Below we provide answers to a number of Frequently Asked Questions, giving an up-to-date picture on the current situation with the building.

Tricorn House was built in the early 1970’s and was used as an office building for the Government Department of Health and Social Security. It was vacated in 1996 and has been largely empty since that time, falling into disrepair and becoming increasingly derelict. The site has had a number of different planning consents to be redeveloped over the years, but none of these have been progressed by the owners, until now. The current planning consent that is being implemented is for a conversion of the building into 44 residential apartments.

Tricorn House was built in the early 1970s and was used as an office building for the Government Department of Health and Social Security.  It was vacated in 1996 and has been largely empty since that time, falling into disrepair and becoming increasingly derelict prior to its recent renovation.  The site has had a number of different planning consents for redevelopment over the years, but none of these have been progressed by the owners, until recently.  The latest planning consent that has been implemented is for a conversion of the building into 44 residential apartments.

Tricorn House was built in the early 1970’s and was used as an office build

Vilednik Holdings Ltd. It has owned the building since the end of 2022. Stroud District Council has never owned the building.

The owner (Vilednik Holdings Ltd) has employed a team of contractors to redevelop the site.

There is a 'Permitted Development' consent to convert the building into residential apartments. Permitted development rights are a national grant of planning permission which allow certain building works and changes of use to be carried out without having to make a planning application. Instead, applicants submit a Prior Notification to the council. Permitted development rights are subject to conditions and limitations to control impacts and to protect local amenity. A condition of this consent was that the development must be completed by the end of May 2023.

With the passing of the end of May 2023, it was obvious that while work was progressing well on site, the development had not been completed. As a consequence, Stroud District Council officers visited the site on 31st May 2023 to assess the extent of the works carried out, with a view to preparing a planning enforcement report to establish the appropriate course of action.

On examining the site, it was observed that partitions to divide the building into the residential units has been installed. All 44 of the units had a full bathroom installed and 43 of the units had a kitchen installed. 

Using this information, it was determined that, as a matter of fact and degree, the development which had been undertaken had resulted in a material change of use of the building. The site visit clearly established that the building no longer, nor could now reasonably, be used as offices. Someone with no prior knowledge would think they had entered a block of flats. 

The council, therefore, concluded that a change of use had occurred by 31st May 2023 and that the level of works undertaken meet the requirements of the prior notification. 

Separate planning applications were made for new windows and entrance to the building, as well as a structure to house bats. This is because bats are present in the building and they are a protected species. These were permitted in March and November 2023.

The current consent for the building provides 34 parking spaces for the 44 residential units. The permitted development process did not require car parking to be provided in accordance with normal parking standards. The site is small, so there is limited opportunity to provide any more than 34 spaces.

Stroud District Council’s main role is as the Local Planning Authority, responsible for ensuring that the building is developed in line with the relevant planning consents.  The council has also represented the long-standing community concerns about the building when encouraging owners to progress with the redevelopment. 

Stroud District Council has been in regular dialogue with the different owners over recent years, reminding them of their responsibilities for the safety and security of the building and supporting their plans – as far as possible - to bring it back into positive use for our community.

Stroud District Council cannot purchase a building unless the owners wish to sell.  In 2008, the Council attempted to use a legal power known as a Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) to force the previous owners to sell the building (which was derelict at the time), but this was not successful.  Efforts since that time have focused on encouraging the new owners to redevelop the site using the various planning consents that have been granted by Stroud District Council.  The new owners have converted the building to residential apartments.

The Council approached the owners to discuss potential purchase of the building but the owners did not wish to sell. An option for the Council to lease the building from the owners was also discussed but there is no business justification for the Council to use public money to do so and this option is not being pursued. 

In October 2024, Stroud District Council received a final completion certificate from a registered building control Approved Inspector in respect of the building work at Tricorn House. This meant that the building work had been completed to the satisfaction of the building regulations and that the apartments were ready to be occupied.  

The council continues to work with third-party proviuders on other uses for the building which could support those who most need it. This is the council’s preferred use of the building.

Stroud District Council provided a response to the Government-appointed contractor in 2024, regarding the potential for Tricorn House to accommodate people seeking asylum. The Government subsequently wrote to the Council to advise that the owners of Tricorn House have confirmed that the building was not available to them to house people seeking asylum. This continues to be the case and the Government has made it clear that it does not consider the building suitable to accommodate people seeking asylum.

The owner continues to be responsible for the building and decisions on the future use of the building rest ultimately with the owner. The owner is also responsible for the security of the building.

In all our discussions, SDC will continue to represent the community’s concerns and push for the building to be brought back into use, preferably to meet the local need for accommodating homeless families and individuals.

Each flat has been banded by the Valuation Office Agency. You can find further details about the banding at:
https://www.gov.uk/council-tax-bands.

Council Tax is being billed based on the property’s current empty status.