A former town bank could become five homes after plans to transform the building were submitted. 

Rutnam Properties Ltd has lodged proposals with West Suffolk Council to renovate the vacant Lloyds bank building in Mildenhall High Street. 

A design and access statement said a number of alterations would be made to the Grade II listed building. 

Work could include removing internal walls to create new openings and modifications to the plumbing, heating and electrics. 

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If approved, the repairs would form part of a scheme which would see the building become five homes. 

The design and access statement said: "The proposed conversion of Lloyds Bank into five residential dwellings aims to breathe new life into this historic building while respecting and preserving its architectural and historical significance."

A marketing report submitted as part of the application said "two years of extensive rentals and sales marketing failed to secure any substantial commercial interest." 

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Lloyds had previously sought a new tenant to fill the vacant building, but opted to sell the building after 16 months, according to the report. 

It adds: "Although Mildenhall is a thriving town, it has a limited attraction to the larger national chains and has more appeal for small local businesses.

"These types of businesses are unlikely to want to make the substantial investment that would be required in the building." 

The bank announced in 2021 that it would close its doors in Mildenhall as part of a series of cuts led by the way people changed how they banked. 

A spokesperson for the firm said at the time: “This means that, like many businesses on the high street, we must change for a future where branches will be used in a different way, and visited less often."

A mobile bank branch had visited the west Suffolk town after the main branch closed, but this was cancelled earlier this year.