Casual bar plan for Bridge Street in the city centre

The site of the proposed Puzzles bar in Bridge Street.

A vacant shop unit close to the town hall in Peterborough's Bridge Street is being lined up for conversion to a bar.

A planning application for the change of use of the former Money Shop - recently mused as a pop-up literacy hub - to a drinking establishment is currently with the city council.

If granted, it will be reborn as Puzzles, a casual bar designed to fit in with the current night time offering in the city centre.

Matthew Murphy, who is behind the venture with Peterborough-based business partner Simon Antil, said they had been attracted by the recent resurgence in the city centre night time offering.

“There is a trend at the moment in Peterborough with lots of new restaurants and bars and we thought it was a good market to get into,” he said.

Puzzles will be a casual, relaxed bar, he said, with occasional live music.

“We have done a lot of market research and without giving too much away we think we will bring somewhere that will complement the existing businesses in the city centre very well, a place which will be open before and after people are out dining in the restaurants for instance.

“We will be a little bit different, quieter and bit more relaxed.”