Planning permission is being sought to return one of Longford Town's most prominent buildings back to public life. The former Ulster Bank on Main Street was vacated two years ago when the company left the Irish market.
The protected structure was constructed in 1863 and features a distinctive limestone front and was purpose built for the bank. The Longford branch was one of the earliest buildings constructed in the southern counties by a Belfast bank and operated for over 150 years.
The bank vacated the Irish Market in 2023 leaving all local branches vacant. The outdoor ATM was infilled with stone to match the existing wall and the bank lettering was removed.
A planning appeal against the those works sought the retention of the signage, with a request that the letters be rearranged into a different phrase regularly. New planning lodged by Cunningham Design & Planning is calling for the demolition of a flat roofed extension to the rear of the building and it's replacement with a fully serviced single storey build.
This new construction would be used for commercial, retail or cafe purposes, with the applicants also seeking the change of use of the former financial building to the same. The plans also seek the creation of two self contained apartments on the first and second floor respectively.
County Planners will decide on the application this summer.
