A scheme to restore a prominent building that had been left in a "dilapidated condition" on a town's historic high street for a number of years has been given the green light.

Plans to give a new lease of life to a former high street watchmakers, pub and butchers' shop on the High Street in Lowestoft, which has been closed and boarded-up for a number of years, were approved this week.

A scheme was lodged with East Suffolk Council in September for the restoration of existing shop frontage of the vacant building at 87 High Street in Lowestoft.

The scheme also included the "demolition of an existing extension" and the addition of a new two storey extension.

East Suffolk Council’s planning committee north approved the plans during a meeting at Riverside in Lowestoft on Tuesday, December 14.

An East Suffolk Council spokesman said: “The scheme was approved.”

With East Suffolk Council the applicant and landowner for the scheme, a design and access statement submitted by agents Hudson Architects, on behalf of the applicant Ryan Taylor, said the vacant building had been a butchers "sometime after 1932 when it was being used under the ownership of the Wood Bros".

Previously a popular 19th Century pub known as Exhibition Stores, it added: "No.87 has made a long and varied contribution to the local area, with earliest records showing it in use as a watchmaker’s space, then as a popular pub shortly after until the early 1930s, until it became a butchers up until closure."

With the scheme given the go-ahead, a council spokesman said: “The restoration of this building in the heart of Lowestoft fits perfectly with the continued ambitions of the North Lowestoft Heritage Action Zone (HAZ) regeneration project; to promote the renovation of historic buildings and public spaces to stimulate the economic revival of the area.

“East Suffolk Council’s Planning Committee North agreed that restoration of the existing shopfront, and refurbishment of the building, would represent a considerable positive enhancement to the North Lowestoft Conservation Area.

“While retaining the commercial element of the building in the town centre, the construction of a new two-storey extension with additional dwelling will provide two residential units in a sustainable location and help bring the building back into a viable use.”