A former bank that failed to sell at auction but was later sold privately, could be turned into a small block of flats.

London property developer Judah Cohen has applied to East Cambridgeshire District Council to convert the former Barclays Bank in High Street, Soham.

The bank closed three years and was due to be sold at auction in June with a guide price of £250,000.

The property was described by auctioneers Cheffins as a “prospect for an investor or owner occupier to tailor to their own requirements”.

The bank closed on May 31, 2019, just months after Lloyds pulled out of the town leaving residents and businesses needing to travel to Ely or Newmarket for personal banking.

Cheffins describe the sale of the bank as a “wonderful chance to purchase a prominent commercial building in the heart of the thriving town of Soham”.

The new owner says he does not propose to alter the external appearance.

“The character of the conservation area would have no discernible impact and would bring an otherwise unviable building in the conservation area back in to active use, thereby protecting its future,” he says in a statement to planners.