The former site of a town centre barbers left vacant for months could be ‘brought back to life’ by a cafe with outdoor seating, plans have revealed.

Kerry Roberts barbers on Alexandra Court in Wokingham town centre closed in August last year.

Now the Brown Bag cafe, which already has a premises opposite on Alexandra Court, wants to move in.

An application for planning permission submitted to Wokingham Borough Council says cafe owners want to install patio doors to open onto an outdoor seating area.

A planning statement submitted with the application says: “The proposed changes are extremely minor and will crucially bring a vacant commercial unit in a busy town centre walkway through Wokingham back to life.”

It explains that installing the new outdoor seating will mean raising and levelling the ‘patio area’ just outside the shopfront. However no fixed tables, chairs or umbrellas will be installed.

The planning statement, written by planning consultant Martin Butler Partnership, also says Wokingham Borough Council’s commercial property investment manager has supported the application.

However it will be up to the council’s planning department to decide whether the proposals should be allowed to go ahead.