NEW plans to turn the former Wardleworths bookshop into an eatery have been submitted.

The plans have been drawn up for the empty unit on Westfield Street at which the bookshop had been based for 40 years.

Wardleworths closed its doors for the final time in August 2019 with the premises having been vacant ever since.

Proposals to turn the unit into a "restaurant/cafe" have been sent in to the council by Shirmohammad Aghaiepoor.

The applicant had a previous application to use the premises as a takeaway refused by the local authority in December 2019.

A decision notice from the council on the refused plans in 2019 had said the development "would lead to an over concentration of hot food takeaways along the frontage of Westfield Street which would be to the detriment of the appearance of Westfield Street and the retail offering at this location harming its vitality and viability."

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The new application, submitted to the council just before Christmas, states: "The proposed use class will have a positive impact to the local area as it will bring a vacant unit back into use".

Plans are on standard consultation to the public until Monday, January 25.

A determination deadline on plans has been set for February 17.

Since Wardleworths' closure, a project has been launched to create a community bookshop in the town centre, to be based on Bridge Street.

The campaign reached its minimum fundraising target of £40,000 and is expected to open later this year.