Bid to convert The Tudor Rose, in St Peters Street, Lowestoft, to shop and five-bedroom HMO green lit by East Suffolk Council

A bid to turn a former town pub into a shop and HMO has been given the green light.

East Suffolk Council approved the plans from Asunka Rathnayaka for The Tudor Rose, in St Peters Street, Lowestoft.

Under the proposals, the ground floor of the old pub will become a convenience store, while the upper floor will be used as a five-bedroom HMO.

The upper floor is currently a residential space, but this now has retrospective permission for that use.

Lowestoft Town Council recommended approval of the application.

The site is a few minutes walk from the East Coast College Lowestoft campus.

The college responded to the application saying it presented an ‘excellent opportunity’ for accommodation for its students.

The existing HMO provides the five bedrooms alongside shared kitchen, dining and laundry rooms as well as two bathrooms.

Planners said while the application would result in the loss of a community facility, the new uses would help to retain this sort of presence while also providing a public benefit.

The plans set out the HMO is to be used by students. The rooms in it are currently full.

There will be a small extension to the back of the building.

The old Tudor Rose pub was placed on the market at the end of 2019.

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Developers have three years to begin works.