A former town centre bank which has sat empty for eight years is on the market.

The ex-Natwest in Sandwich, a Grade II-listed building, already has planning permission in place for the ground floor to be turned into three flats and office space.

It is now up for sale with a guide price of £280,000, after previous attempts to sell the Market Street site fell through.

Marketed by BTF Partnership, the estate agents say “with planning permission already in place, it offers an excellent opportunity to bring new life to one of the town’s landmark properties”.

They add: “It presents an exciting chance for potential buyers to create three to four residential flats within an impressive Grade II-listed former banking hall.

“It’s a striking building full of character and located in a prominent position within the town centre.

“We’ve had a couple of buyers who, unfortunately, have had to withdraw for personal reasons.

“The property is now available again - offering a great opportunity for someone ready to move forward.”

The building was first built around 1830, with flats at the top and a commercial area at ground level.

The upper floors are not included as part of the sale.

Planning permission for the conversion was granted in May last year and the building’s vault will be part of the transformation.

The former Natwest site closed in 2017 in a bid to save money, alongside eight other banks in the county, including in Bearsted, Borough Green, Broadstairs, Hythe, and Rochester.

At the time, the lender said the decision was because more people were choosing to manage their finances online.