Signs have gone up as a new store looks set to open soon in a coastal town centre.
After the closure of the retail store at a two-and-a-half storey corner building in Lowestoft town centre, a new business looks to be preparing to open its doors.
Previously an O2 mobile phone shop, the property at 113 London Road North has been vacant for many months.
The empty corner building that comprises a ground floor shop with accommodation on the first and second floors is understood to have been built in 1950.
A new lease of life had been earmarked for the store - which was a former gent's outfitters in the late 1960s - as change of use plans were submitted to East Suffolk Council in July for the site in Lowestoft town centre.
A scheme centring around "Change of use to HMO retaining front existing ground floor for commercial use" for the property was lodged by agents Blue Alpine Planning Ltd for applicant Mr Johan Chopra.
It proposed the creation of a new seven-bedroom house of multiple occupation (HMO) with retail use retained.
However, the proposals to convert a commercial premises into a mixed use commercial and HMO property were turned down last month.
A delegated report from East Suffolk council's case officer said the proposals "would fail to provide an acceptable standard of living accommodation for potential occupiers and result in a poor standard of accommodation for future occupiers."
But in the past couple of weeks, work has been taking place on the retail shop.
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