Key step in bid to transform former Waterlooville Natwest into a new restaurant

A new family-friendly restaurant and five flats are being planned at the Natwest bank site at the corner of London Road and St George’s Walk, as part of regeneration plans for the town centre with a planning application seeking permission for the changes now submitted. 

The Exchange restaurant will be on the ground floor with a bar, kitchen and seating in the 226.6 square metre area of 93 London Road. The outside will be finished in cladding with blue doors and blue shower door windows to be obscure glazed.

The venue is one of eight businesses that have won grants from the £140,000 regeneration scheme, scooping £50,000 from the Havant Borough Council.

As previously reported, Stephanie Thomas of Credible Holdings said the new venue at The Exchange, would be in keeping with its existing establishments: the three Kassia restaurants in Denmead, Drayton and Stony Stratford, and Chandlers in Clanfield. 

She described the new venue as “a family-friendly bistro serving breakfast, lunch and dinner”, with quiz nights, live entertainment and general background music.

The five first-floor flats will be renovated “at a later date but put in place” planning documents said. There would be three, two-bedroom and two, one-bedroom flats. The basement, the bank’s previous strong room, will be turned into a storage room.

There is no parking for the building for any of the staff, customers or flats. However there is a lot of local parking, said the application form. The council planning department will decide application reference APP/24/00727 by December 5.