New takeaway plan for former bank

A national pizza chain plans to take on a prominent former bank building in the heart of a Herefordshire town.

Domino’s has submitted applications for full planning permission (number 253599) and listed building consent (253600) to covert the former HSBC building at the corner of Broad Street and Burgess Street in Leominster.

Vacant since the closure of the bank in April 2023, the late-18th-century, grade II listed building lies within the Leominster conservation area and has many other listed buildings around it.

While external changes to the building would be “minimised as far as possible”, there would be a new louvred extraction and air vents in existing windows on the side of the building, though there would be no external ducting.

“Carbon filters are proposed to the oven extract to ensure that there are no unpleasant odours outside the unit,” according to the application, which is accompanied by a noise impact assessment and ventilation plan.

No changes are proposed to the first or second floor, so no change of use in planning terms is being sought for these, it adds. The building’s heritage listing says it has only two floors.

New signs on the building would be covered by a future application.

The pizza takeaway would be open between 11am and 11pm each day. There would be minimal customer seating inside, plans show.

Deliveries to and refuse collection from the new outlet would be via Broad Street given the narrow, one-way access via Burgess Street.

Comments on the planning applications can be made until February 19, with a decision due by March 4.