Mason Moore | Hinckley Reporter | 11 August 2022

A NEW real ale bar and coffee house could be created in a landmark building in the heart of Hinckley town centre, which has been vacant since 2016, if given the ‘green light’ by planners. And, it would mark one of Hinckley’s biggest town centre bars.

As we reported two months ago, the initial plan for the former Yorkshire Bank on Market Place was mainly a two floor music and entertainment venue with associated bars.

Since then, the Hinckley Free Press have learnt from the agents, Bukin Letts Architecture and Bailey English Architecture, that the intention is to create a large ground floor bar which would serve up real ale, in a modern industrial setting.

As well as this, a special beer chiller room has been created directly behind the proposed bar to correctly serve the real ale.

With the new removal of restrictions of pavement space usage, the team leading the project are aiming to bring life back into the town square in the evenings, by using the outdoor market square area on Market Place.

The ground floor will host live music, general entertainment and comedy evenings, with the first floor potentially becoming an entertainment venue in ‘due course’.

And, the rooftop area of the building is to be utilised. ‘Excellent’ plans have been drawn up by architects to establish the biggest terrace bar in the town centre, which would also serve as one of the largest entertainment spaces in the town.

If they are given the approval to open soon, plans are in place for the bar to host their own real ale festivals, beer and gin festivals, and hold market stalls in Market Place.

The team behind the bar even have art events and food events on the cards, which would see fun and entertainment created for the entire family.

The coffee house will serve up specialist coffees from a local roasting house, as well coffees from around the world.

Food would be cooked up on-site inside of a newly-created ‘street food kitchen’, which would see the redundant space to the rear of the building used to accommodate it.

The bar and coffee house will be dog friendly, meaning that those who have furry friends of their own can take them with them whilst having a coffee and catch-up.

A spokesperson for the plans told the Free Press that whilst they are hoping for the approval to set up soon, the timing may be ‘risky’ as Hinckley’s high street has lost many town shops as a result of the pandemic, high rents, and business rates.

The plans for the building have been “awaiting decision” from the Borough Council’s planning department for a total of three months, since it was submitted on 7 April with an initial decision date of 26^th June.

However, after recent negotiations with the planning department, it is understood that a decision on the plans will be made by next Tuesday (16 August).