Plans for a new restaurant and public house in the heart of Workington town centre have been submitted to Allerdale council.
The development would utilise redundant office space at Upper Jane Street and Market Place that was last occupied by Kevin Commons Solicitors in 2016 and were becoming an eyesore.
Mike Heaslip, St John's ward councillor for Allerdale and the town council, said: "It's a welcome development. It used to be a pub, the Six Day House and next to it a brewery and offices and there was a restaurant, Casa Romano, so he's basically putting it back to what it was.
"It is good to see it's being redeveloped, Mr Bell has certainly done a good job restoring the outside of the building and hopefully it will look as good on the inside.
"It's another attraction to the town to have another restaurant, better a restaurant than a take away. It's a positive development for the town."
Number six Upper Jane Street had previously been the Casa Romano Italian Restaurant and applicant, Mr Bell - owner of The Green Dragon and The Well in the town, would like to change the office space back into a restaurant.
Konrad Hansen, St John's ward councillor for Allerdale and the town council, said: "Steven's done an awful lot of work on it and he always puts in 100 per cent in everything that he does. I'm sure it will be a success.
"It will be great to have a restaurant there again. If it's as good on the inside as it is on the outside it will be great. It's good for the town too. Local business people like Steven put a lot into the town. It will be good for employment.
"Good luck to him. Steven, his sons and wife are doing much of the work themselves, they are taking the time and passion to do it properly."
Workington Town Centre Manager, Tony Magean, is positive about the development:
"Any development that takes place in town is a big benefit. The development will fit in well with the surrounding environment. Being occupied will add to the existing vitality of the town. Town centres are good economic centres and good employment centres too", he said.
Offices at the top of Wilson Street, which was formally The Six Day House pub, would revert back to a pub. Two more units at the corner of Upper Jane Street and Market Place will remain as offices/retail, with offices above these units being changed to bedsits.
A heritage assessment in the plans say: "The development can only be seen as positive for the area, not only will it enhance and help protect the buildings, but will give the area a high class eating establishment, which has been missing from the area for a long time.
The public house will supply mainly real ale, which is something else the area needs. Footfall in the town will be significantly increased and numerous jobs will be created."
An area behind the buildings and accessed from Upper Jane Street will be kept as car parking for the restaurant.
All original features of the building, including windows and doors will be retained. Two mullions, which were added at a later date to the windows, will be removed.
The buildings are in a conservation area, but are undesignated.
It is proposed that the new development will create six full-time and 10 part-time jobs.
The plans are out for consultation with Allerdale council until August 3.
Mr Bell was unavailable for comment.
