The new occupant of a former bank building in Liverpool city centre has been revealed.
In July last year, Liverpool Council gave the go-ahead to proposals for the ground floor of the former Natwest building on Castle Street to be repurposed as a bar and restaurant. The grade II listed site was vacated by the bank almost six years ago and has been empty ever since.
It has now been confirmed Vietnamese chain Pho will occupy the lower floors of the century old building. New planning applications have been put forward by the street food firm, which has a site in the city centre on Bold Street, for new illuminated signs and a menu box to be installed outside the venue.
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Documents made public by Liverpool Council have shown plans for a main restaurant sign - consisting of 'Pho Logo and Pho lettering internally illuminated neon effect - metal tray letters and 'Vietnamese Street Food' lettering in acrylic box lettering. A further two hanging signs would be put up with LED lighting and a painted timber panel signage board suspended from black steel hanging bracket.
A menu box would also be installed next to the main door, according to the application put forward by Colin Williams of Pho Trading Company. The brand was first formed in 2005 after its owners travelled to Vietnam.
As per the July planning consent, refurbishment inside the building is to connect the upper and lower floors at ground level. Customers’ dining and bar areas and two accessible toilets will be reached through the ground floor while the basement would provide toilets, staff office, kitchens and waste storage.
Planning permission was given for the installation of two full-height bi-folding glazed doors. Plans for a near 100 room hotel above the Vietnamese restaurant were also signed off in September last year.
The upper floors and part of the ground floor of the property were given permission to be converted to a 92-bed hotel. The hotel units would contain one double bed and measure between 13.1sqm and 28.7sqm.
A total of six of the proposed apartments at first floor level would be large enough to accommodate a sofa-bed. A Liverpool Council report three months ago said the proposals “would bring the long-time vacant upper floors of two substantial listed buildings back into active use with the provision of highly accessible visitor accommodation within a highly sustainable city centre location.
"In doing so, the proposal would: Help preserve a grade II* listed building and a grade II listed building which may struggle to attract further interest given their large scale, heritage constraints, high market value and current general lack of interest for office spaces.” The signage application has not been allocated a date for hearing by officers or Liverpool Council’s planning committee.
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