Plans to build a new hotel and shops in the heart of Wimbledon have been submitted.

Earlier this year a public exhibition was held which revealed an idea to refurbish the Bank Buildings in Wimbledon Hill Road and fill the missing gap in Alwyne Road with a new building.

The developers want to refurbish and extend the building to deliver a "mixed-use scheme" comprising shops at the ground floor and hotel use throughout the rest of the development.

"Architecturally this is one of the most magnificent buildings in both the town centre and the conservation area," a document attached to the planning application read.

"Although the building has generally been well-maintained by its owners, the historic features and detailing around the ground floor retail units have been stripped off and covered over."

While the developers have been in talks for at least six months to find someone to run the hotel, no deal has yet been confirmed.

"Although a number of discussions with specific hotel operators have been undertaken with the aim of determining the parameters of the proposed hotel accommodation including room sizes and on-site facilities, the hotel operator can only be finalised after planning permission is granted," the same document read.

"Current feedback from local members of the public have suggested that a 4-star rating hotel would be preferred for this location based on both the unique architectural relevance of the building and the site's key location."

In total, the hotel will be five storey's high and have 93 rooms.

The developers believe this development would meet an "acknowledged demand" for places to stay in town.