A growing national chain of neighbourhood café bars is coming to Mansfield town centre, bringing back a disused former bank building back into life.

ARBA Group, based in Mansfield, is refurbishing the former Lloyds branch on Stockwell Gate, between Market Place and the Four Seasons Shopping Centre entrance.

Loungers, which has more than 80 outlets nationwide, will be opening at the site before summer 2017.

Loungers, whose venues are described as informal neighbourhood café bars, will be bringing its slightly eccentric take on venues with an eclectic mix of reclaimed furniture, soft seating and a cosy environment.

Open all day, every day, Loungers are where families, friends and local residents can enjoy a coffee, a drink or something to eat in a relaxed and comfortable environment.

Richard Burns, ARBA Group director, said: “This is fantastic news for Mansfield and shows that the town centre is a promising place to be, where businesses want to be located.

“Town centres have evolved over the years. Where once they were a place simply to shop, they are now a destination, where people can shop and take leisure time, meet friends for a coffee or enjoy a drink or food for much longer periods of time.”

Richard added: “With the recent news about Mansfield town centre regeneration, the changes to the market layout, Purple Flag accreditation and new touchscreen and digital technology coming to the town centre, Mansfield is a place that is on the up.”

The former bank building was built in around 1830 and was believed to have been a butchers shop before it was turned into a bank.

Sarah Nelson, manager of Mansfield Business Improvement District (BID), said: “ARBA Group is a great example of a property investor that has seen an opportunity, invested in a town centre building and helped to bring a new offering to the mix that we already have.”

Denis Hill, a heritage consultant who has been working on a number of projects for the BID, added: “It’s wonderful to see an old building being brought back to life. It has been looking a little sad over the years so to think it will be so full of life soon is good news.”

Formed in 2013, ARBAGroup.co.uk specialises in retail, leisure and industrial development and has transacted more than £5.5m of property in 2016, it now has a number of significant projects in the pipeline.

ABOVE: Richard Burns, from ARBA Group, and Sarah Nelson, manager at Mansfield BID, outside the former bank building on Stockwell Gate, Mansfield.