Cocktail bar and restaurant plans for former bank in Market Harborough

A new cocktail bar and "contemporary restaurant of international cuisine" could soon occupy a Leicestershire building that had been used as a bank for over 100 years. Agent Lloyd Harden Design has submitted proposals to Harborough District Council to transform the former NatWest bank in Market Harborough.

The agent said plans would bring the "neglected building" on St Mary's Road, Market Harborough, back to life. The ground floor would be the main dining room under the new designs, with one of the former bank vaults transformed into a banquet experience with an "authentic culture theme". The first floor would feature a relaxed cocktail bar with casual seating.

The applicant said the outside of the building would remain mostly unchanged, apart from the installation of a new illuminated sign, with the company logo and name. There would be general updates and repainting, which would keep the colour as is, and new external lighting, it added.

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The seven car parking spaces and one disabled space would remain. Plans state although the building is not listed, it has been classed as a non-designated heritage asset. No extensions or development works have been proposed as part of this application.

Plans indicated architectural features of the building would be maintained and given a new lease of life, with the applicant noting the building had been used as a bank for over a century. The NatWest Bank branch closed in January 2023 and the building is currently empty.

The council's archaeology team made one note on the application dated Tuesday May 7, 2024, naming the building as a heritage asset. They recommended Harborough District Council make it a requirement that the applicant records any significant heritage assets to be lost as part of the development.

They also suggested the planning department considers the impact of the development on the Market Harborough Conservation Area. Consultation on the plans is open until Monday May 20 with a decision on the application expected by Wednesday, June 19.