More student flats could be on the way for Huddersfield town centre with plans to convert former Kirklees Council offices.

Ramsden House, on the corner of New Street and Ramsden Street close to Huddersfield Town Hall, could be turned into 45 studio apartments.

The six-storey office block, which currently houses Huddersfield’s driving test theory centre, has shops on the ground floor which will not be affected. Much of the office accommodation is currently vacant.

Threadneedle Pensions Ltd has applied to Kirklees Council to convert the rundown building.

The planning application says there will be nine flats each on the second to the sixth floors. The flats will include a small kitchenette, bathroom, desk area and clothes storage facilities.

A lift will be installed and the basement parking will remain for use by the shops.

In a design and access statement, the applicant says the majority of office units are empty because the building – a five-minute walk from the main Huddersfield University Queensgate campus – is in need of refurbishment.

Ramsden House is the latest of a number of town centre buildings to be considered for student flats. It was used for many years by various Kirklees Council departments.

The design statement says: “The conversion of the current office accommodation to residential accommodation within Ramsden House has the opportunity to improve the quality of student accommodation whilst improving the appearance of a prominent town centre building.

“The site is an excellent location for student housing due to its location and due to its previous use and layout the building lends itself to sympathetic conversion.”

There will be little change to the external look of the building.

The plans are open for public consultation until January 25.

In September 2013 Kirklees Council approved plans for 10 apartments and 10 studio flats at Ramsden House.

Click below to see how Huddersfield town centre has changed over the years - the images below were taken in 1926!