More new flats for town centre

A new restaurant and 20 apartments are set to be built on derelict land at Mill Bank in Stafford town centre.

A patch of wasteland between the Coach and Horses and The Tavern pubs will be transformed by the development - which will be similar to that at Espley's Yard on the opposite river bank.

Planning permission was granted for the bar and restaurant on land between The Coach and Horses and The Tavern Public Houses, across the river from the JD Wetherspoon's pub and new bar The Yard last year.

Now the application for the "mixed use development" - including the apartments - is awaiting a final decision from the borough council and developers have released the first images of how the finished project will look.

The decision could be subject to the developers investing in play areas, community facilities or environmental schemes.

The 4,047 sq ft restaurant and bar will take up the ground floor of the building with two-and-a-half floors of apartments - two full floors and a third in the roofspace with dormer windows.

The building will have views over Mill Bank and the River Sow and will include four studio flats, 15 one-bedroomed apartments and one two-bedroomed flat.

The scheme will add to the recent spate of 'city living' apartments in the town centre.

Wright Silverwood Chartered Surveyors is the letting agent for the site, being developed by Silex Land Limited.

Spokesman Andy Silverwood said: "Nothing has been finalised but we are in discussions with a very well-known restaurant chain regarding the site."

The land has been subject to reviews by tree protection officers and the Environment Agency regarding the flood risk; which is said to be "acceptable" for the development.

By Sally Walmsley