ONE of Colchester’s iconic buildings could remain as offices despite planning permission for flats.

Equity House, which overlooks North Station, already has permission from Colchester Council to be turned into 64 flats.

Planning permission was granted in December.

But an offer has been made to buy a new lease on the building’s offices when the current one expires.

It would be in place for at least five years.

Equity House is occupied by the Equity Insurance Group, which is run in partnership with iGO4.

The company’s lease ends in September and it plans to move its staff to a new office elsewhere in Colchester.

The property is being marketed by chartered surveyor Whybrow.

The three-storey building already has a 171-space car park.

Planning reports said the three-storey building if used as flats would probably have no more than 150 people living there.

However, in its current office layout it could have 491 staff – 115 on the ground floor, 212 on the first and 164 on the second floor.

The Gazette contacted Monopro, which was the firm who submitted the plans for flats there, but it was unavailable to comment.