A pub in Stourbridge is to be extended to create a coffee bar and bistro in a bid to boost town centre trade, new plans have revealed.

Owners of The Bell want to take over two empty shops next to the pub, in Market Street, to create the new development. If successful, the empty shops would be converted into a coffee bar and bistro. It is proposed the bar would open during the evening alongside the normal daytime hours of 9am to 5pm. Plans have been sent to the council.

Under the scheme, existing signs and shutters would be removed from the two shops to allow the installation of large new windows and canopies.

The colour scheme of the new bistro would match that of the existing public house and there are no plans to change pedestrian access near to the site.

Proposals have now been submitted to Dudley Council for the scheme and for permission to change the use of the shops from retail to that of a cafe and restaurant.

Residents have been asked for their opinions on the plans as the site falls into a conservation area in the town centre.

People can view the designs at the Directorate of the Urban Environment at 3 St James’s Road, Dudley, between 9am and 5pm.

A design statement has also been submitted to the authority detailing the proposed changes.

The document states the two units have been empty for a long period of time and it is vital to get them back into use.

The document states: “It is the intention to amalgamate the units to form a high class coffee bar and bistro. This will serve food during the daytime hours and provide a full bar for service with food during the evening.”