New £1 million Lounge restaurant at former Barclays, in High Street, Newmarket, would create about 30 jobs as plans submitted

A restaurant chain is set to invest about £1 million in transforming a former bank in Newmarket into a new eatery creating about 30 jobs.

Loungers Plc has submitted plans to convert the former Barclays at 58-60 High Street into a Lounge.

It has sought planning and listed building consent for new partitions to create rooms for the bar and restaurant, toilets, kitchen and cellar.

A design, access and heritage statement, from agent Turley to West Suffolk Council, said Loungers runs more than 200 sites across the country through The Lounge and Cosy Club brands.

It said each new site generates in the region of 30 new jobs for the community and leases are for 15 years.

“Based on current proposals, the conversion of this property will represent an investment cost of approximately £1 million,” it said.

The Grade II listed three-storey property was formerly known as Buckingham House and was built in the mid-1800s.

Loungers Plc also wants to install new ventilation systems on the roof of a modern extension at the back.

Earlier this month it submitted a premises licence application, which said the site would be open from 8am to 12.30am, Monday to Sunday.

Barclays closed the bank in June because less than 10 customers used the branch regularly as the only way to do their banking.

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