A NEW restaurant or cafe could come to a prime sport on Southend’s High Street after the large premises stood empty for two years.

An application has been submitted by AJM Planning to Southend Council to convert the former women’s clothes shop, named Pinky, into a restaurant.

The shop, at 114-116 High Street, has failed to bring any interest to new retailers, and now after a long time going unused, planners have decided they want to turn it into a new venue.

A spokesperson from AJM Planning confirmed on behalf of their client that there is “strong interest” in the space.

They are yet to receive an offer from a future tenant and are hoping to get either an independent or chain company move in.

Southend High Street has had a surge of new restaurants pop up over the past year. Molo Lounge and Revolution opened up in the High Street, and Caribbean restaurant Turtle Bay is also set to open shortly.

There are also already three large coffee chains on the High Street, including Starbucks, Cafe Nero and Costa.

Southend Council are hoping that the potential new restaurant in the vacant site will add to the already thriving entertainment scene on the High Street.

A spokesman said: “It is hoped that this will provide complementary use for the designated town centre increasing both day time and evening activity thus improving the cultural and entertainment economy.”

The council are considering the potential impact of what changing the space would have on the surrounding area, neighbouring properties and the traffic.

The proposed changes to the shop show that there will be seating areas outside the front of the shop, however they are yet to submit opening hours.

The council found that the plans would not add any further noise and said: “The change of use would not harm the vitality or viability of the town centre.”

Resident Alan Haywood, 28, of Princes Street, Southend, lamented the potential loss of a shop and said: “I’m definitely not happy with the amount of applications being put through for more restaurants and cafes.

“We need a wider range of retail outlets and more adventurous entrepreneurs with better ideas than just catering.

“We need a children’s play centre where parents can drop off, stay and play while they shop or a larger children’s clothing or toy shop would be good.

“Having a 14-year career in catering, I can understand it but we don’t need another catering business – there’s too many.

“We need the high street to be as attractive as possible so that the remaining shops can actually stay open. The extortionate rates for shop units don’t help but we need more variety.”