Cocktail bar in former high street bank approved

The cocktail bar will open on the site of the former Lloyds Bank in Towcester

A former high street bank is set to be turned into a cocktail bar after a council granted planning permission, despite objections from nearby residents.

The Vault Cocktail Lounge in Towcester, Northamptonshire, at the site of the former Lloyds Bank on Watling Street East, had already been granted a licence to service alcohol.

West Northamptonshire Council approved the planning application, bringing the site back into use.

The applicant Jenny Hunter told a planning committee the venue would be "breathing new life" into the building.

The former Lloyds Bank in Towcester has been empty since it closed in 2021

The Local Democracy Reporting Service said the committee heard objections to the proposals on behalf of local residents, who raised concerns about the closeness of the drinking establishment and its outside courtyard to their homes and the potential for noise and antisocial behaviour.

Ten letters of objection were raised in response to the cocktail lounge plans.

Towcester Town Council submitted its own objections to the plans, also questioning the venue's proximity to existing residential neighbours, which it said would be "incompatible".

The applicant runs The Watling Street Village pub in the town centre

But Ms Hunter said: "While some may wish the bank to return, retail has shifted and hospitality is one of the few viable uses for this space.

"This is also not a pub or a sports bar, but a small, mixed-age, dog-friendly space for the community to gather perhaps for a drink before or after dinner.

"The benefits are clear."

The planning permission was granted with a series of conditions, including a noise management plan, which must be approved prior to the opening of the bar.