New lease of life for former funeral shop

The building on Norwich Road in Wisbech - in an image dated 2014 - was once a funeral director's shop

A former funeral directors' shop which has stood empty for almost a decade is to get a new lease of life.

Approval has been granted to convert the building in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, to be converted into a café and two residential flats.

The developer said the plan would bring the empty property on Norwich Road back into use and create employment.

Wisbech Town Council has supported the project but raised concerns about parking provision in the area.

It is believed the unusual building, with a circular tower structure on one side, has been disused since 2016.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service said permission was granted in 2021 to convert it into flats, but the plan was never implemented.

The latest proposal involves raising the roof to accommodate two flats.

In planning documents, developer Ming He said: ""The site did have planning permission to remove the vast majority of the commercial element and change it into flats.

"The current proposal will therefore have a community benefit, allowing what has been an empty property for some time to be brought back into use, as well as the potential to create employment and a café."

Wisbech Town Council supports the project as the building has been unused since 2016

There has been some support for the proposal, with one neighbour describing it as "a solid idea".

"The building's been sitting empty for too long, so it's great to see it getting used," they said.

"A café would be a vibe since there's nothing like it around here. Hope this goes through."

However, the town council said it had some concerns about the impact of the development on parking in the area.

Fenland District Council granted permission for the work to create the café and two flats, subject to conditions, including for work to start within three years.