A former NatWest bank in Urmston is set to be transformed into a restaurant and homes, in a move that echoes the ongoing regeneration of historic buildings in Oldham town centre.

The building on Crofts Bank Road, which has stood empty for some time, would see its ground floor turned into a "modern dining establishment" while the upper storeys would be converted into residential units. The plans also include internal demolition work to create an open-plan layout suitable for a contemporary restaurant.

Eight parking spaces at the rear of the building would be retained. According to planning documents submitted to Trafford Council, the proposal "allows the locally listed building to adapt in a sensitive way, helping the building to be put back into use and offer a leisure use to serve the local people and complement the wider Urmston town centre".

The documents add that the building "has been redundant, and its re‑use will make a positive impact to the street scene".

Similar transformations are becoming more common across Greater Manchester, including in Oldham. In recent years, the borough has seen several former banks and commercial properties repurposed for food, drink and residential use as part of wider efforts to revive its town centres.

Oldham’s Civic Centre is being turned into a new theatre and cultural venue, while the Old Town Hall on Yorkshire Street has been brought back into use as a bar and restaurant. Proposals have also been discussed for the former Barclays bank on Market Place, which could be converted into a mixed‑use development.

Community leaders in Oldham have stressed the importance of finding new uses for historic buildings, both to preserve the character of town centres and to attract visitors and investment. The approach in Urmston mirrors this philosophy, showing how a redundant bank can be adapted into a modern leisure venue while still retaining its architectural features.

The plans at Crofts Bank Road are at an early stage and will need to be approved by Trafford Council before work can begin. If given the go‑ahead, the developer hopes to create a “flexible, open‑plan” dining space on the ground floor, with apartments above providing much‑needed town centre housing.

While the Oldham borough does not have a direct connection to the Urmston scheme, local observers will watch with interest as the project progresses, given the parallels to the regeneration work already underway in Oldham itself.