Vacant Peterborough city centre shop could become restaurant and flats

Garfield Properties Ltd is seeking planning permission for the building at 20 Long Causeway to either:

. Use it for retail or a café/restaurant over all of the floors

. Use it for retail or a café/restaurant on the ground floor with five flats above it.

A planning statement submitted to Peterborough City Council states that the second option is the preferred choice at this stage.

The four-storey building is at the northern end of Long Causeway and is currently vacant.

The planning statement concludes: “The proposed development will provide a high quality redevelopment of the building to provide useful flatted development, or in the alternative will enable the best use of the whole building for commercial purposes.

“The application therefore represents sustainable development that supports economic growth and housing. It will enable more flexibility which will enable the unit to be let more easily and maintain occupancy.

“This is in accordance with the aims of the Local Plan which seeks to maintain beneficial uses in the city centre, avoiding vacant premises, so as to achieve a vibrant and vital city centre with a range of uses.”

The council’s planning department will now consider the application.