Banking on new shop and flats
A FORMER town bank could be renovated to turn it into a shop with flats above.
The HSBC building, in Wood Street, Earl Shilton, has not been used as a bank for many years.
It has previously been occupied by a care provider and a training company, but now plans submitted to Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council propose converting the inside of the two-storey building to make it more suitable for retail.
Developer Casa Leicester hopes to turn the bank’s vault into a storeroom and also add a kitchen and toilet for shop staff on the ground floor.
On the top floor, offices will become bedrooms, with a kitchen and toilet previously used for staff to be ripped out and turned into a shared lounge and kitchen for future residents.
There is no mention of a potential new occupant, or even the type of shop that might move into the premises.
Documents filed on behalf of Casa
Leicester by agent Kunstler Designs Architect read: “The scheme would mirror the existing similar flats and dwellings above (other) shops on Wood Street.”
The developer says parking will be “accommodated within the scheme”, but gave no further details.
Plans show a small amount of open space at the back of the property that is currently taken up by grass and shrubs, with a small section of paving.
The plans are available to view on the council’s planning portal, and residents who want to comment or object have until Wednesday, June 14 to do so.
The building was originally a branch of the Midland Bank, one of the four largest banks in England and Wales which eventually became HSBC in 1999.
Research by Which? published last year showed the UK has lost half its banks since 2015, with 4,685 branches closing.
The closures have left gaps in high streets across Leicestershire.
This year alone, the county will have lost eight bank branches.
OLD HSBC BRANCH