PLANS to redevelop a former bank on a major Bradford route have been approved.

The former HSBC banking hall on Tong Street has been empty for a number of years, but in 2017 plans to refurbish the building and turn it into a retail and residential development were approved by Bradford Council.

The plans would have seen the ground floor split into four shops, while the first floor would become apartments.

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However, earlier this year developer Iqbal Singh submitted an amended application saying “uncertainty over Brexit” and other factors have led to the project stalling, with little interest in the planned shops. Instead the plan was to divide the building’s ground floor into seven smaller shops.

He believes the smaller units will be easier to let, and allow the transformation of the building to move forward.

The application will retain the bank’s 11 space car park.

The application has now been approved, with planning officers saying: “The ground floor will have more glazing than at present, but this will not be out of keeping with the upper floor and will have no detrimental effect on visual amenity.”