Plans to convert former Wellingborough bank into retail premises approved by council

Developers have been given the go-ahead to convert a Wellingborough town centre unit into new retail spaces after a bid was approved by North Northants Council (NNC).

After plans were submitted in the summer to covert the former HSBC bank, the council has granted permission for a new use of the site that was once the town’s only HSBC branch.

Plans have not revealed what the intended use of the site will be.

The application includes slight structural changes to the site to make it fit for purpose, including an additional entrance to the front of the building to allow the premises to create a second retail unit.

One planning document said that ‘the impact on the conservation area setting would be minimal and positive’.

Another planning document said: "The new door will match the existing in both design and materiality, preserving the character and appearance of the conservation area.”

The National Planning Policy Framework added: “Applicants will be expected to work closely with those affected by their proposals to evolve designs that take account of the views of the community.”

The business that occupies the space can only be open to customers between the hours of 8am and 7pm on Monday to Saturday and from 10am and 4pm on Sundays and Bank Holidays.

HSBC departed the town centre as one of 69 branches that closed as part of a ‘transformation programme’ across the UK in August 2022, and the unit has been one of the many vacant units in the centre ever since.

The approval document said the premises’ external surfaces must only be constructed of materials of a type and colour which match those of the existing building ‘to ensure that the new work harmonises with the existing building and to ensure the development does not detract from the appearance of the locality’.

It said: "North Northamptonshire Council encourages all contractors to be 'considerate contractors' when working in our district by being aware of the needs of neighbours and the environment.

"Prior to the commencement of any site works, it is good practice to notify neighbouring occupiers of the nature and duration of works to be undertaken.”