Fresh planning applications have been submitted for two of Loughborough’s most prominent town centre buildings.

An application has been made for a restaurant on the former site of Geoff’s Toys, on the corner of Loughborough’s High Street and Woodgate.

The store closed just over a year ago and since then the building has been vacant.

Plans have also been submitted for the former Burton’s clothes store in Loughborough Market Place, which could see it being turned into a restaurant - or even a pub.

The plans also include a proposal for the former iconic Shack snooker hall on the first floor to be converted into apartments, to house up to nine people.

Burton’s menswear closed in January after being in the town for more than 80 years.

Geoff's Toys

An application has been made for a restaurant on the former site of Geoff’s Toys, on the corner of Loughborough’s High Street and Woodgate.

The store closed just over a year ago and since then the building has been vacant.

Now an application for change of use has been submitted by a Mr Kirit Lakhani.

The application also indicates that a part of the building could be retained as a retail unit.

Geoff's Toys
Geoff's Toys

A design and access statement submitted to Charnwood Borough Council, with the plans, states: “The proposal is to convert the former Geoff’s Toys site, which has been lying vacant for over a year now, and convert it into a restaurant.

“This building commands the grand position as the gateway into Loughborough town centre and the most prominent building on the High Street.

“It was built circa 1920’s with a unique brown brick that only a few buildings in Loughborough still have standing.

“The frontage is beautiful Georgian design with white stonework now almost cream from years of fumes, wear and tear. The ground floor windows are full sheets of glass allowing the passer-by to enjoy the full meaning of window-shopping.

“With Brexit looming and the decay of on line businesses eating into the lifeblood of the High Street it is essential that this building is given the full support to bring it back into a purposeful use.

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“This site as mentioned above is in a prime location and directly opposite the Phantom Pub on the junction of Leicester Road and High Street.

“It is also on the corner of Woodgate sitting next to Moss Solicitors who are tenants of this building on the lst and 2nd floors and have been for many years.

“The building has been for nearly 25 years used as Geoff’s Toys a well-known and respected toy shop which is missed by many locals in Loughborough.”

The statement goes on to say that included in it objectives is ensuring: “That public understand and appreciate that the overall goal is to improve the quality of the building because of this development and ensure that it benefits the public.

“ This restaurant is to make the building stand out due to its heritage aspects and be refurbished with taste and decorum such as having the stonework washed and original Georgian ceiling and features put back in during the restaurant fit out.”

Former Burton store

Plans have been submitted for the former Burton’s clothes store in Loughborough Market Place, which could see it ending as a restaurant or even a pub.

The plans also include a proposal for the former iconic Shack snooker hall on the first floor to be converted into apartments, to house up to nine people.

The application for the site has been submitted by Mr Tesh Patel of Leicester.

The plans include a request for permission of possible mixed uses of the building.

Burton
Burton

They are Class A1 (retail), Class A3 (restaurant/cafe), and Class A4 (drinking establishments such as pubs or wine bars).

The plans for the first floor, the former Shack snooker hall are for a conversion into two apartments for multiple occupation.

Drawings submitted with the plans show two flats with two kitchen dining areas and a total of nine bedrooms with what look like to be their own en-suite facilities.

Burton’s menswear closed in January after being in the town for more than 80 years

The store had been in the town’s Market Place since the 1930s and there cannot be many local families who have not shopped there during all those years.

At the time of the closure the Loughborough Echo understood the company’s owner, Sir Phillip Green’s Arcadia Group, had sold the building.

When the news was announced back in November last year, Lez Cope-Newman, chair of Love Loughborough BID said: “Burton’s has been a prominent and long-established business in Loughborough’s Market Place and its closure is going to have a strong impact on Loughborough.”

“The store has been part of Loughborough’s heritage since the 1930s and has been a key anchor store for the town.

“Hopefully the prominent location of the store will ensure that the unit doesn’t stay vacant for long.”

Dermot Breen, the president of Loughborough Chamber of Trade and Commerce added: “Burton’s is a sad loss to the community.

“I don’t think we will see their like again.”