An historic town centre bank has been put on the market with planning permissions in place to turn it into flats and cafés.

The five-storey building in Lowfield Street, Dartford, has sat vacant since Barclays left.

Planning permission was approved last month to convert its upper floors into six flats.

Further extensions have also been touted for the ground floor so two cafés or restaurants can be put in, with the courtyard area – accessible via Market Street – to be used as outdoor seating.

It has now been listed as a redevelopment project and is open to offers of £1.8 million.

The Dartford Barclays branch was previously one of London private chain Martins Bank’s oldest branches.

It was opened by Martin and Company in 1891, which had others in Sittingbourne and Maidstone, and carried on serving customers for almost 130 years. The next nearest Barclays is in Spital Street, Dartford.

Hundreds of homes are already being built nearby, with developer Bellway transforming the site of a derelict former brewery off Lowfield Street.

Homeowners have now moved into their apartments in Labatt House, which lie on the southern edge of the site off Vauxhall Place.

Now nearing the end of the project, Bellway is looking to finish the final two phases of the development for 644 new homes.

The first site on 46-58 Lowfield Street would see 71 flats built next to the existing phases, while a second on land occupied by the Dartford Tyre Zone shop is also set to become a block with 84 flats.

In April, a decision was taken at a Dartford council planning meeting to grant both plots conditional planning permission.

The tenure of the Barclays Bank is freehold and anyone interested in the property should contact Jason Grant at Countrywide Commerical Property Agents on 01322 918434.