A PLANNING application has been lodged for a prominent Poole Quay building for change of use to a restaurant or cafe.

The freeholder of the building, which used to be the Swan Inn, has submitted the application to Borough of Poole (BOP) in a bid to attract prospective tenants.

Some years after the Swan Inn closed, the Edwardian building - which is decorated with local tiles and sits within a conservation area - was taken over by Viv Endecott.

Viv ran it as a tourist attraction called Eileen Soper's Illustrated Worlds, dedicated to the artist who illustrated Enid Blyton's adventure stories.

But in late 2012, after three years, the attraction closed because there were simply not enough paying customers coming through its doors.

The latest proposals, lodged on behalf of the freeholder by Samways Surveying Ltd, are for the change of use from D1 museum to A3 restaurant with ancillary A5 hot food takeaway.

The building has been vacant since Eileen Soper's Illustrated Worlds shut.

A statement issued in support of the application, from Samways Surveying, read: "The proposed use will have little change in terms of the level of local traffic generated compared to the prior use.

"The premises have an off-road parking area within an enclosed courtyard. This area can also be used as a secure storage area for staff bicycles.

"It is anticipated that the majority of customers would already be in the quay area visiting other attractions and only a minority would be making a journey purely to visit the restaurant.

"The property is directly alongside the coach drop-off point and will therefore serve as a useful facility for tourists."