Plans have been submitted which could see 12 new apartments built above  a shop in Wrexham town centre.

It follows claims that proposals for the upper floors of the Select fashion store on Hope Street would help to support the viability of the main shopping area.

Minor changes have been proposed to the layout of the ground floor retail unit to provide dedicated access to the one-bedroom flats, which would be spread out across three floors.

The shop itself will be retained under the application put forward by North Block Limited.

In a statement accompanying the submissions, planning consultants acting on behalf of the company said some of the upper floors had previously been used in association with the store, but were no longer needed.

They said: “The proposed development which constitutes the change of use of redundant and unnecessary space at first, second and third floor levels, will utilise space which is not required to support the retail use at ground floor level.

“The change of use and the resultant rental income will have the benefit of subsidising the rent required from the ground floor retail space in order to make the use of the whole building viable, thereby protecting the long term use of the retail space, preserving employment and further enhancing the vitality and viability of the town centre.

“It is proposed that all apartments should be one bedroomed in order to attract single professional persons and couples.

“It is shown on the drawings submitted with the application that 12 apartments can be provided within the original part of the building at a rate of four per floor.”

The plans are the latest in a string of applications to encourage town centre living in Wrexham.

No details on parking arrangements have been provided as part of the proposals.

However, the consultants said it was expected tenants would not need to drive due to the availability of public transport nearby.

Wrexham Council is expected to make a decision on the plans at a later date.