THE premises of a much-loved electrical shop, with a history of 125 years, could be turned into a nail bar.

P Squire, in Bridge Street, closed in September, last year, when owner Alec Holloway retired from the store where he had worked for 71 years.

Now a plan has been lodged with Test Valley Borough Council to convert the shop into a beauty salon and nail bar.

The application submitted by Hollywood Nails, which already has a smaller premises in the same road, states that the business needs to relocate due to its lease ending.

Within the plan it is noted whether there will be an impact on the surrounding area from pollution, but it was deemed that there would be no impact to residents in the flats above.

“The proposed treatments which would be carried out within the premises will include: manicures, gel nail extensions, gel polish and pedicures. There will be no need for any extraction units to be attached to the external walls of the property and no external lighting would be required,” the application states.

In the proposal, the existing shop form would be removed and replaced with a new frame unit to allow the salon to “utilise the floor area currently lost to the entrance and window display areas”.

Windows, deemed to be in poor condition with rotting frames, would also be replaced, as well a tin roof at the back of the town centre unit.

The plan added: “ The unit is currently vacant therefore; the change of use to a potentially viable operation should be encouraged.”

P Squire was started up in 1893 by the ancestors of Mr Holloway’s wife, Fenella, selling radios, TVs and knick-knacks.

In its early days, the store sold items from motorcycles to prams and toys.

Before his retirement, Mr Holloway said: “I will miss here, my whole life’s here.”

The store holds fond memories for the Little Ann resident, as he worked 15-hour days when he first started out.

Mr Holloway came on board as the future son-in-law and began running the shop 12 years later.

Over the years, Mr Holloway said business had changed dramatically with people buying online making a big difference to trade.

To view the plan, go to testvalley.gov.uk/planning-and-building/viewplanningapplicationsonline and search for 19/00271/FULLN.