PLANNING chiefs have approved proposals to breathe new life into a former bank that has stood empty for several years.

Gateway Waterside has been given the go-ahead to transform the old Barclays building at New Road, Hythe, into a community hub and a place of worship.

Gateway's application said the proposed change of use would turn a "disused and unsightly building" into an asset to the local community.

The organisation, which currently meets at Marchwood Village Hall, is planning to hold Sunday services at the former bank.

Daily Echo: Hythe's only surviving bank, HSBC, is due to close its doors in SeptemberHythe's only surviving bank, HSBC, is due to close its doors in September (Image: Newsquest.)

Charities are also set to benefit as a result of New Forest District Council's decision to approve the conversion.

Gateway is planning to make space available to The Crossings, which helps people experiencing homelessness, and CAP, which supports clients to become debt-free.

READ MORE: HSBC, Natwest, Barclays and other bank branches to close in July

The application said: "It is envisaged that Gateway Waterside and the building’s other potential users will work in close partnership with a range of organisations, including the police.

"It is hoped that Gateway will be viewed as a safe space where vulnerable members of the community will be welcomed, supported, and signposted.

"Youth activities will take place at various times outside of the school day, providing a range of different opportunities for young people to engage in.

"For all of these reasons, it is suggested the proposed usage of the building may have a positive impact on crime and disorder in the local area."

Daily Echo: Barclays is next to the former Lloyds Bank, which has also closed Barclays is next to the former Lloyds Bank, which has also closed (Image: Newsquest.)

Summing up, the application said Gateway was "genuinely excited" by the opportunity to be based in the heart of Hythe.

Converting the disused building would make the area more visually appealing as well as add to the vitality of the town and provide local charities with a new base, it said.

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A council report described the former bank as a vacant, two-storey building with offices on the first floor.

It added: "The proposed use would enable the church to support the local community throughout the week and to provide a meeting space for Sunday services.

"The building is sited in the town centre, within a sustainable location that is easily accessible.

"On the ground floor there will be a meeting space/hall and storage. On the first floor there will be toilets, a kitchen and office spaces used in association with the church and other charities."

Barclays closed in 2018. Hythe's only surviving bank, HSBC, is due to shut in September.