A closed bank branch in Newcastle’s West End could be brought back to life as new shops and flats.

Plans have been unveiled to transform the closed Barclays on Westgate Road, opposite The Beacon.

The proposals, lodged with Newcastle City Council before Christmas, would see seven new retail units opened on the ground floor of the disused high street site – up to three of which could be used by cafes or other food businesses.

The regeneration scheme would also see the second floor of the building, which was used as a bank from the 1960s until the Barclays’ closure in 2022, converted into six apartments.

An application submitted to the council by GW Architectural, on behalf of applicant Mohammad Malik, states: “Occupying a prominent building on the corner between Wingrove Road and Westgate Road, the proposal has been designed to re-inhabit the existing building, providing a new use within its study exterior. The ground floor level seeks to continue the line of shops along Westgate Road. 

Get the latest news, sports, and entertainment delivered straight to your device, click here

Most read

“The new design will bring life to the street corner, by providing outdoor seating and lighting the building, with the aim of becoming a popular destination for shopping and eating in the area.”

It adds: “External changes will be mainly cosmetic – the ground floor will be re-clad to suit the new shopfronts, with signage above for each business in gold mirror lettering, illuminated from behind, and fascia brought forward to accommodate roller shutters.”

The Barclays Wingrove branch shut down in January 2022, with the bank saying at the time that the site’s counter transactions had dropped by 30% and that only 58 people used it exclusively to do all of their banking.

Barclays said at the time: “We understand the concerns about the closure – and we’d like to reassure everyone that, before deciding to close, we looked very carefully at how the branch is used. We’ve seen a general fall in customers coming to this branch, and many customers already use nearby branches and online or telephone banking.”