A former landmark Lincoln watering hole is poised for a major facelift, which could open the door to new jobs in the north of the city.
Lincoln-based commercial agent Banks Long & Co today confirmed that city planners had given the green light to plans designed to modernise and upgrade the former Bowlo public house.
The St Mary’s Street agency – which acts for the building’s owners the Lincoln Corn Exchange and Markets (1991) Ltd, a subsidiary of The Lincolnshire Co-operative Society – said permission gained by Lincoln-based architect Framework, will pave the way for a revamp of what is more popularly known as the old
Bowling Green Public House.
The building occupies a prominent location at the junction of Wragby Road and Outer Circle Road and is close to hundreds of homes and a wide range of businesses.
Banks Long & Co director James Butcher said: “We believe that the future use of the building will be as a restaurant. Once completed, the refurbished property will provide around 3,500 sq ft of trading space and have the capacity to seat up to 200 people.
“The suggested changes will help to inject more light into the building and give it a much more contemporary feel, as well as providing improved car parking, which is a major requirement for the type of restaurant operator that we are intending to target.
“This is an area of the city that has grown substantially in recent years with the arrival of hundreds of new homes on the 90-acre Bunkers Hill site north of the bustling Carlton Centre Retail Park and Neighbourhood Centre, which sits on the opposite side of Outer Circle Road,” said Mr Butcher.
He added that the former community pub has been empty for a number of years, but he believes the proposed contemporary facelift will make it a much more attractive opportunity for restaurant operators.
“The intention is to undertake the work when we have found a tenant, so this will give us the opportunity to incorporate any specific design requirements of our occupier,” said Mr Butcher.
The plans include the creation of two self-contained apartments on the upper floors which can be included in a letting of the whole or, alternatively, will be let separately if not required by the restaurant tenant.
