Listed Withington bank to be redeveloped
Developer Step Places and architect Buttress have set out proposals to restore the grade two-listed former Natwest Bank on Wilmslow Road.
At a public consultation last week, the team outlined plans to restore the bank into a restaurant and bar, while building an apartment block on a vacant plot to the rear, along Swinbourne Grove.
The three-storey new-build block is proposed to be clad in brick and stone; the architect said the design would be “appropriate in its scale and mass, and is contextual” to surrounding buildings, while there would also be car and cycle parking provided.
Fronting Wilmslow Road, the bank is set to be converted into a “lively food & beverage destination”, with the developer promising to preserve the bank’s original features to provide a “classy” bar and restaurant.
The bank, which dates back to the late 1800s, has been vacant since the branch closed in August 2015. The site sits within the Withington Conservation Area.
A planning application is expected in the coming months following last week’s consultation.
The new-build element of the plans
No Wetherspoons here please
By Withington Resident
Do we really need another restaurant bar in Withington village .
By I can cobham
Withington needs lots more restaurant bars actually, there’s hardly any
By York Street
Not won over by the proposal of a apartment block being built but we are definitely in need of a restaurant. Very few places to go for dinner in withington.
By Sophie
No more restaurant or food places please we could really do with some descent shops not much reason to go to the village now unless you want a kebba or a cafe
By Peter
Why can’t someone open something we need for a change. An Aldi or Lidl would help as we only have 2 ridiculously expensive food shops , Sainsbury’s express and the rip off coop. It’s a bus trip for pensioners to get to a shop they can afford.
By P Trimble