Empty offices at Paradise Mill will be converted into apartments if plans get the go-ahead.

A planning application has been submitted to convert office space at the former silk mill on Park Lane into apartments.

After the silk business closed in 1981, the middle section of the mill was converted to offices. But in the last two years the space has been vacant after a lack of interest.

The lower part of the Grade Two listed mill is a museum representing mill life in the 1930s and displaying 26 jacquard looms.

Oliver Allmand-Smith, who owns Paradise Mill, Regency Mill and Augustus Mill with his brothers Stephen and Martin, has applied for listed building consent to convert the mill into 10 flats. He said they have struggled to rent out the mill to businesses.

He said: “Macclesfield has been struggling with people uncertain about what’s going on with the town centre redevelopment, but we hope things will improve if people gain confidence that the latest plan is going to go ahead. There is demand for high end apartments like this in the town centre so we took the decision to convert the office space.”

Paradise Mill museum will not be affected.