A CAR showroom in Leigh could be turned into a block of flats after a downturn in second hand car sales.

A planning application has been submitted to Southend Council to convert the Estuary Cars showroom on London Road in Leigh into a block of nine flats which could result in the loss of up to five jobs.

It will include five flats with one bedroom and four two-bedroom flats.

It is not known if any of them will be classed as affordable.

Planning documents from the applicant Runwood in Benfleet state: “The existing site has operated for a number of years and has relatively speaking had a negative impact on the residential amenity of the neighbours both to the east along the A13 London Road and to the South in Dundonald Drive.

“The existing use yields between one and five employees however the downturn in second-hand car sales has led to the business becoming unviable which has resulted in the current application.”

It adds: “The existing buildings are a series of adaptations and mismatches, which together with their condition are not the most positive in the street and the application seeks to demolish these as part of the redevelopment proposals.”

Each flat will be provided with a single parking space and the applicant claims there will be a reduction in traffic around the site as a result.

They add that the site will also benefit from being close to public transport including two bus stops located within 30 metres and Chalkwell Station, which is under a mile away.

The owner of Estuary Cars was contacted for comment but did not respond.

The planning application will be discussed by Southend’s development committee at a meeting scheduled for later this summer.

The committee will have to decide whether to lose the employment use to increase housing.