Proposal to convert ornate bank building in South Molton

Town lost its last permanent bank two years ago

A prominent former bank building in South Molton could be converted into flats and a retail unit.

Constructed in 1832, the buiding in East Street was a Lloyds branch until it shut two years ago, leaving the town with no permanent banking facilities.

Now developers want to create two flats, retain and refurbish an existing apartment and provide a retail unit on the ground floor of the Georgian building which has period features such as stained glass windows, stone pilasters and reliefs.

They have applied to North Devon Council for planning consent.

Simon Kaufman Architects on behalf of CAI Property Ltd said in planning documents that the building had lain neglected and underused for some time and even when it was a bank, the rear was “slowly declining and the upper floors increasingly shabby”.

Recently, however, opportunities had opened in planning guidance promoting a change of use from commercial buildings to residential, to help increase the number of people living in town centres and boost high streets, they said.

All three apartments will have access to a communal garden at the rear and there will be 10 cycle parking spaces, a driveway and parking for four vehicles.

The building is in the conservation area of the town and less than 400 metres from open spaces and countryside, the application says.

The developers propose to retain as many features of the existing building as possible.

It is intended that the surviving sections of the main staircase, which are ornately decorated, will be revealed from behind the plasterboard coverings, restored and retained.

Historic windows on the East Street frontage will be repaired, and external masonry repointed to match existing brick, stone and mortar.

There with be some alterations which include replacing redundant drainage pipes, a new rear external doorway, storage sheds and access points to the rear driveway.

North Devon Council will consider the application at a later date.