A former Sudbury nightclub which had its licence suspended after it was decided the owner breached all of his licensing conditions could be turned into housing, if a new development gets council backing.

An application has just been submitted to Babergh to redevelop the former Easterns Station Lounge building into a three storey block of 15 flats.

The business ceased trading in 2012 after the district council’s licensing committee held an eight-hour hearing with evidence from police and trading standards. They pushed for the club to be stripped of its licence after a joint undercover test purchase operation at the Great Eastern Road premises on November 17 that year.

During the operation four children were able to gain entry to the club and purchase alcohol.

Despite the club’s owner David Pratt appealing against the decision, which saw his licence suspended for two months, the nightclub never reopened.

And now Mr Pratt has applied to the district authority for permission to demolish everything but the original façade of the nightclub building and build a new block of flats.

According to the design statement accompanying the application, it is a “fundamental part of the scheme” that the frontage on the corner of Station Road and Great Eastern Road is retained.

“This is the original part of the Great Eastern Hotel and the only part of the original building which remains,” the statement said.

In the local police response to the application, Sudbury Sergeant Matt Paisley said he had concerns about where residents of the new flats would park, especially as there are moves to introduce short stay parking charges on the nearby Kingfisher car park.

“I see the proposed development as a positive step forward to make use of an attractive building, particularly as this could help kick start some other forms of regeneration,” he said.

“However, I remain concerned that no provision is made for parking, and this will have an impact on the heavily congested streets in the immediate vicinity.

“The suggestion that occupiers of these flats may well work in the town centre is perhaps a naïve view point as other new developments close by have proven to have had a negative contribution to on-street parking.”

Mr Pratt did not respond to calls from the EADT about the application.