A former department store is set to become a bar and restaurant.

Ravens department store in Clifftown Road, Southend shut down in October after falling sales due to a growing trend towards online shopping.

The town’s oldest family business will now be transformed into a bar with a rooftop terrace.

An application to Southend Council has been given the go ahead.

SKArichitects are redesigning the building near Southend High Street.

In the application the architect said: “We are very excited to be working on this locally well-known and very much appreciated building.

“The key aspect of our approach is to sensitively adapt the existing building for its new use with the least possible intervention into the existing structure.”

The stucco facade of the building will be repaired and repainted.

Some internal features such as a steel staircase will be preserved with the architects aiming for an art-deco theme.

The building will house a “high-end restaurant”. There will also be a quiet lounge bar in the basement, a cafe and bar area on the ground floor with a fine dining restaurant on the first floor.

There will be a new shop front with planters and an external staircase to the rear of the building.

It will be open from 10am to midnight Monday to Thursday and Sunday and until 2am on Friday and Saturday..

Environmental Health raised concerns over external lighting and live music but planners said: “Taking into account the location of the site, separation distances from neighbours, it is not consider the works would have an adverse impact on nearby residential occupiers.”

The applicant, Andy Armeni, is seeking separate planning permission for a roof garden. This will close by 11pm.

Planning officers raised concerns about a glass roof light in the middle of the roof terrace.

A report said: “This surface is one that would be liable to fracture if a person’s weight were to be applied to it, whether by walking, falling onto it or otherwise.

“As the premises is a pub there is an inherent risk of a person falling through the roof light.”

Because of this, it has been recommended that the roof light is cordoned off from customers.

It will also be soundproofed to prevent noise filtering up from the bar area below.

Work on the building will be carried out between 7am and 7pm Monday to Friday and 8am to 1pm on Saturday.