A FORMER high street bank could be transformed into a ‘high class’ restaurant after plans were filed at town hall.

Blueprints submitted to Trafford Council include transforming Natwest in Ashley Road, Hale, into a late-night eatery and bar.

Altrincham businessman Rajesh Somaiya is behind the scheme and is trading under the name ‘A Squared Eats Ltd’.

The Natwest branch in Hale closed last year, shortly after the HSBC branch closed for good next door.

Plans for the new restaurant include extending the building and creating an external seating area where customers can enjoy al fresco dining.

There are also ambitious proposals to create a first floor front terrace area with a balcony covered by a glass balustrade.

But the existing 1930s sandstone stonework frontage would be retained under the plans.

A planning document stated: “The applicant, is a local businessman and resident and is keen to develop a sustainable new restaurant that breathes new life into this former building.

“This is a rare opportunity for a vacant bank to be brought into use for a high class restaurant that will bring vitality back into this declining part of Hale centre.

“In order to create a viable business, it is imperative that the building is occupied over all floors and extended to the rear to allow enough space for a commercial kitchen and storage.”

The report continued: “Given the sensitive location within the newly developed Hale Conservation area, the proposals have been the subject to extensive pre-planning discussions with Trafford Council.

“The proposals are resultant of those discussions and illustrate a greatly reduced scheme which enhances the existing building and sits harmoniously within the conservation area.”

Earlier versions of the application were knocked back on two occasions by the council over concerns about the scale of the proposed extensions to the building, which falls within the sonservation area.

The application also details that the restaurant would be open until 11pm from Monday to Thursday, 12am on Friday and Saturday and 10pm on Sunday.