THE developers behind the renovation of the High Town buildings which were devastated by fire said they have cleared the final hurdle.

Elevate Property Group, the Birmingham-based developer, has been granted detailed listed building and planning consent by Herefordshire Council to redevelop 16 to 18 High Town.

Work will start early in the new year on the project, now known as Alban House, to build 18 residential homes and two ground floor retail units.

The site has been an eyesore in the city since the fire took hold in October 2010.

The new development will offer eight one-bedroom apartments, six two-bedroom apartments and three-two bedroom penthouses, together with one refurbished cottage, and associated parking.

Steve Dodd, managing director of Elevate Property Group, said: “It has been a long slog to get to this stage, with so many issues to be resolved, but I am now delighted that Herefordshire Council has given us the go ahead.

“We have worked closely with planning officers who have been supportive in understanding our vision for this site and helping us to create a satisfactory solution.”

For more than six years, attempts to redevelop the site failed until Elevate Property Group bought the site.

The breakthrough in the six year saga came with an historical appraisal produced by Philip Belchere of Hereford architects Hook Mason Ltd.

In a report first produced in October 2015 and revised in May 2016, he secured agreement with Historic England that, in effect, the damage was too serious to warrant insisting on extensive retention of the existing fabric of the buildings.

The project will be managed and overseen by development managers BACE Construction Consultants.

A local contractor will be announced shortly.

Mr Dodd added: “We are looking forward to bringing this site back to life and delivering new homes and shops that Hereford residents will welcome."

He said provisional prices were £135,000 for the one-bedroom apartments, ranging up to £350,000.