The disused offices within Zodiac House have been sold to help families facing homelessness. (Image: Google Street View)
An old office building made famous for starring in the popular comedy Peep Show has been purchased by a local council.
The disused offices have been turned into 73 flats and are situated within Zodiac House, where Mark Corrigan (David Mitchell) and Jeremy Usborne (Robert Webb) live in the hit series.
According to reports, the south flats will be used as temporary accommodation for families facing homelessness and have been purchased for £20m.
Croydon Council said: “The purchase of Zodiac House is part of the council’s proactive approach to tackling homelessness by providing safe temporary homes to local families and individuals while they look for long-term housing.
“It also helps the council to meet its homelessness duty under the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017 and reduce costs to the council with less use of other more expensive temporary housing options.”
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The council said it is experiencing increasing demand for homelessness services due to “not enough affordable homes” and “high rents” in the private sector.
Each flat will be furnished with “essential items”, including white goods and basic furniture.
There will also be a 24-hour concierge service available to support tenants.
The homes are made up of one, two and three-bedroom flats, and the sale is expected to reduce the council’s costs by £987,000 per annum.
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Robert Webb (left) and David Mitchell (right) were the main characters in the Channel 4 hit. (Image: Getty)
The office space had been empty for more than 30 years until it was bought by investment firm Mitheridge Capital Management in 2020 and converted to flats.
Development company Common Projects then managed the building’s conversion, which included two retail units, a community centre, and a public square.
Robert Chevis, Development Director at Mitheridge, said: “Though parts of it have sat empty for decades, Zodiac House has long been an iconic part of the West Croydon neighbourhood.
“Now, having turned unloved and unwanted office space into high-quality and much-needed temporary accommodation, we look forward to it once again being a key hub for the local community.”
The flats have been bought on a 999-year lease.
Zodiac House was known as Apollo House in Peep Show, which ran for nine seasons between 2003 and 2015.
The popular show also starred , Neil Fitzmaurice and Paterson Joseph.