A listed building dating back to the 1800s has taken a step closer to being converted into swanky new apartments.
Carrow Hill House has previously been used as a hostel for rehabilitation and to support the homeless community but has fallen into disrepair.
Salhouse-based Newall Investments has submitted plans for seven new homes at the site in Carrow Hill Road.
These have been described as "apartments suitable for city living" and would come with a car park and communal amenity space.
The building has been targeted by vandals since closing in 2013 with windows being smashed to gain entry into the building.
A design and access statement prepared by Daniel Connal Partnership said this vandalism has resulted in water penetration and further damage to the building.
Lakenham's Labour city councillor Keith Driver, who is chairman of the planning committee, said he would prefer to see the site being converted into housing rather than being pulled down.
He added: "The site was getting vandalised with people going in and out so it was getting wrecked.
"Something needed to be done to it and it would be ideal to turn it back into homes and to put people back in there."
The city council has approved plans this month for internal and external alterations to facilitate the conversion into new homes.
Mr Driver added: "There is a need for more homes everywhere and more affordable homes as well.
"It is no use building homes and selling them as second homes for people in big cities who are coming here for a weekend.
"We need one, two and three-bedroom homes to put in families and younger people who live on their own."
Carrow Hill House is located in a conservation area and is one of several nineteenth century buildings in the area.
The property was originally built as a single home but was converted to a pair of semi-detached homes in 1853.
Then in 1954 the houses were split into six flats before reverting to one home 20 years later.
The site then became a hostel in the early 1980s.
Historic England has not raised any comments about the plans.
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