PLANS to turn a Grade II listed bank into a home in Manningtree have been refused by councillors.

Roundwood Restorations had applied to Tendring Council to turn the former NatWest bank, in High Street, into a two-bedroom home.

But councillors voted for refusal of the planning application on grounds of lack of sustained marketing and lack of parking.

The application went before the council’s planning committee on Tuesday evening after being called in by ward councillor Carlo Guglielmi.

He was concerned about the “loss of a commercial premises in the primary and main shopping frontage of Manningtree High Street”.

The 18th-century building has already been given planning permission for a retail unit on the ground floor facing the High Street, with six flats making up the rest of the building and a separate house to the rear.

But the new application aimed to turn the shop into a two-bedroom home.

A report by council planners said the building is not within the primary shopping frontage area and the application should be approved.

A similar application to convert the ground floor was refused last year due to poor levels of residential amenity, concerns over flood risk and the unacceptable impact on the listed building, but officers said the current application has overcome these concerns.

A report said: “The proposed development will not result in any material harm to the character of the area, residential amenities or highway safety.”

A planning statement by the developer said the bank closed in 2015. It added: “Changing the use of the frontage from commercial to residential use is now proposed to secure the long-term future and use of the Grade II Listed Building which is in a prominent position on the High Street and within the conservation area.”

Roundwood Restorations was approached for comment.

Carlo Guglielmi is the Conservative candidate for Tendring Rural West at next month’s Essex County Council elections. The other candidates are Terry Barrett (Lib Dem), Ian Caruana (Workers Party of Britain), Maria Fowler (Lab), and Beverly Maltby (Green).