PLANS to turn a former high street bank into a pub have been given the green light by planning officers.

A planning application made by by Preston-based Amber Taverns to turn the former HSBC building on Brierley Hill high street into a watering hole has been recommended for approval by Dudley Council's planning department.

The building, which sits next door to Brierley Hill library, will have a full bar servery on the ground floor and an outside drinking terrace at the back of the building.

The design and access statement promises the existing building will be 'respected and maintained' but will undergo a makeover to its exterior with the addition of timber window frames and illuminated topiary.

Plans for the layout of the pub in the planning documents include a principal drinking area on the ground floor with a full bar servery; the beer cellar to be located in the one of the former bank vaults and the managers accommodation to be based on the first floor.

The officers report, which recommends approval for the scheme, states: "The building has not been in use as a bank since at least May 2016, and this scheme will be bringing this building back into use and is therefore will contribute a positively to the Brierley Hill High Street.

"The proposed development is deemed acceptable in terms of principle, design, amenity and parking. It is considered that the proposed works are acceptable in terms of scale and appearance and would not have a detrimental impact on the amenity or the streetscene, and is therefore in accordance with relevant policies."

The building has sat dormant since the closure of the bank, while Lloyds, the last bank on the high street, closed in June 2018.