The old BHS store in Sutton town centre is to be turned into new offices with space for hundreds of people to work.

Sutton Council has plans to transform the top floors of the old High Street shop after buying the building for £5million in 2019. H&M is based on the ground floor.

The council is working with company Oru Space and will create 500 co-working desks and 40 private offices in the building.

The development is set to be called Oru Sutton and will also include two fitness studios open to the public, which will offer classes. The council expects it to open in 2023 and a full planning application is yet to be submitted.

A roof space on top of the building will feature a “community-led garden” and the council has plans for Age UK Sutton and local schools to create and care for it.

The council won £2.2 million of funding from the Mayor of London’s Good Growth Fund and the BIG South London programme to create the workspace.

It also secured £11.35 million from the government’s Future High Streets Fund for four other projects in the town centre. This first is the creation of a new cultural hub, Throwley Yard, in the former Chicago’s nightclub, which has stood empty for 10 years.

Councillor Jayne McCoy, deputy leader of the council, said: “Following the pandemic, lots of us are exploring new ways of working and looking after our physical and mental well-being. Oru Sutton will give people somewhere to do this in the heart of Sutton, bringing new people and businesses to our high street and providing the opportunity to stay local, to work and have fun.”

“By creating cultural venues like the Throwley Yard and the Sound Lounge and modern workspace for businesses to grow, we are helping to guarantee a bright future for our town centre. I’m proud of that, and excited to see it become a reality.”