A new Norwich city centre bargain store is planning to serve food and drink when it moves into the former site of Toys R Us.

Home Bargains is hoping to open in units A and C of Cathedral Retail Park in Westwick Street, five years after the toy retailer left one of the units with the other previously held by Peacocks.

Now the store has applied to Norwich City Council in order to serve food and drink on the premises between 8am and 9pm on weekends and bank holidays.

Norwich Evening News: Inside the former Toys R Us storeInside the former Toys R Us store (Image: Newsquest)

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According to the plans about 30pc of the shop's floorspace would be used for food and drink products and this area is also where it would be served.

A planning statement from the retailer read: "Specifically, this application is being made to allow a modest amount of floorspace to be used for the sale of food and drink goods and to widen the permitted servicing hours to the unit."

Norwich Evening News: Geoffrey the Giraffe at the Toys R Us store's opening in the 1990sGeoffrey the Giraffe at the Toys R Us store's opening in the 1990s (Image: Newsquest)

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The retailer intends to merge the two units together and refurbish the interiors, which it says are in "poor condition".

The new store will employ 100 members of staff and reduce car parking spaces by 10.

There are hopes a decision will be made on the initial plans by October 9.