AN historic listed building in Maldon could be converted amid plans to create 30 new homes.

Essex Housing, a new section of Essex County Council, has applied to Maldon District Council to convert the Friary East into nine apartments, build two townhouses and create a further 19 flats on the site in Carmelite Way.

The land dates back to 1292 when it was founded as the Carmelite Friary – a house for the religious order of the Carmelites.

The friary buildings were dismantled during the Tudor period and took the current form of a Georgian brick mansion in the early 1800s.

Essex County Council acquired the site in 1946 and it was used as a youth centre until the early 2000s, later being used for as the Adult Community Learning Centre until 2014.

It has been vacant ever since.

The application is for a mixture of one, two and three bedroom properties, of which seven will be affordable.

If approved the proposals would see the Friary East building converted into nine apartments, a 1960s extension demolished and replace with two town houses and two blocks with of 19 apartments.

The building is grade II listed and falls in the Maldon conservation area.

The planning statement, prepared by Bidwells, said: “The applicant’s design team has undertaken an iterative design approach in collaboration with Maldon District Council’s Planning, Conservation, Housing and Tree Officers to ensure that the scheme delivers new market and affordable housing in a manner that is appropriate to the building and its surroundings.

“The scheme therefore represents an excellent re-use of a surplus public sector asset by delivering much needed new housing in a brownfield town centre location at a time when significant greenfield development is proposed through the emerging Local Development Plan.”