It has been nearly four years since a once popular Sutton bar shut its doors for good.

But now the empty building may be brought back to life...in the form of a convenience store.

Rift & Co closed in March of 2016 due to “circumstances beyond their control".

Ever since then the building has lay dormant.

But last week a planning application was submitted, that if approved, would see it reopen as a Sainsbury's Local.

To facilitate this change, all the buildings at 1-3 High Street would be demolished. On top of the store would be a total of 10 flats, measuring part two and three stories tall.

But while the building will be demolished, the application states that the front of the shop will be rebuilt as a replica of what is torn down.

A planning statement attached to the application read: "As is set out in the supporting documentation as part of this application, various options to facilitate a redevelopment of the site have been explored.

"The possibility of retaining the existing eastern and southern façades has been considered but there are significant costs and operational constraints which render this approach unviable.

"The officer’s attention is drawn to the notes on ‘potential façade retention’ which has been prepared by the applicant’s surveyors.

"The proposal, therefore, is to replace the eastern and southern façades as a replication of the existing building, with a new building behind and with an alternative commercial use at ground level. This is a logical, viable and achievable solution in order to facilitate a redevelopment of this site."

The next closest Sainsbury's store to the proposed site is down the High Street at the corner of Crown Street.

A date has not yet been set for when a decision on the application will be made.