"Something the town desperately needs”: Conversion of former Lowestoft post office approved
The site has been empty since 2018
Last updated 13th Mar 2024
The conversion of a former post office in Lowestoft town centre has been unanimously supported by local leaders.
Members of East Suffolk’s planning committee agreed yesterday to convert the historic grade-II listed building in London Road North, alongside land to its rear, into a new creative hub.
The site, which has been empty since 2018, will now see six new artist studios, an art gallery, classroom space, and a new café built.
Cllr Paul Ashdown said: “It’s something that the town desperately needs — it will bring this building back into use.”
The renovation, conversion, and new-build elements of the project are expected to cost around £5m, funded through a mix of Government grants and council investment.
Short-stay accommodation will also be available to artists in some studios and, although the cost is still being worked out, officers have said they will be as accessible as possible.
Repairs to the building, which included reinstating the original front door, and restoring its stonework, roof, and sash windows, concluded last year — there will be limited change to the external appearance of the building.
The project, dubbed ‘Messums East’, will be run by Messums who, the council report states, are recognised for revitalising old buildings and embedding them within communities through artistic enterprise.
Also running the space will be Suffolk-based sculptor, Laurence Edwards, who will use the building as a base for a major new project, a large bronze landmark sculpture for display within the town.
Cllr Andrée Gee said: “It’s bringing back and embracing all these buildings, it will do us proud. I think it’ll be a hub to draw artists in and they will be able to share it with the public. I think it’s brilliant.”
The conversion is part of the council’s effort to tackle high vacancy rates within the town. In January, a report revealed 96 out of 366 shops, or 26 per cent, were empty in Lowestoft — nearly double the national average.