Cheltenham's iconic former restaurant site The Daffodil could become a block of flats.

A developer is being sought for the building which once housed the glamorous venue.

It has been for sale since the beginning of the year but is now being actively marketed for redevelopment as flats.

Savills has listed the site for an undisclosed sum as a "freehold residential development opportunity for sale, subject to planning" and has put a month-long deadline on offers.

Two indicative residential development schemes have been prepared for prospective buyers- one for conversion of the existing building into seven flats and the other for partial conversion of the property frontage into townhouses and partial redevelopment into flats, providing 23 homes in total.

The property encompasses two addresses; 18-20 Suffolk Parade, which is 6,135 sqft and housed The Daffodil and 21 Suffolk Parade, which is 1,042 sqft and already has planning permission for conversion to a single residential dwelling, granted in October 2023.

The Daffodil Cinema was designed by Leonard William Barnard, a prolific local architect. Built in Edwardian Free Style, with some Baroque Revival elements, the 750 seat cinema - then known as Daffodil Picture House - opened on October 5, 1922.

It closed as a cinema in 1963 and was converted into a bingo club and then an antique and furniture showroom, before being refurbished and opened as a restaurant by Mark Stephens in 1998.

It became known for its stunning art deco interior and glamorous ambience and found fame after featuring in BBC drama Sherlock and playing host to Prince William.

Fans were dismayed when the 100-seater restaurant closed its doors in 2023  following a challenging five-year period and reports of financial difficulties.

In November owner Stuart Braddock applied successfully to have a condition from 1996 removed which restricted the use to a restaurant.

At the time concerns were raised that this could destroy the unique charm of the "heritage asset".

Cheltenham Civic Society asked for the building to be listed "as a matter of urgency to preserve this heritage asset".

At the same time it was listed on the market with London agent David Coffer Lyons with offers invited on the freehold or a 15 year lease offered for £120,000 per annum.

Savills have now listed it as a "striking art deco former cinema building in Cheltenham, brought to the market for redevelopment"

It said the 0.136 acre site, situated in the "prime" district of Montpellier, is being offered to the market on an 'unconditional' or 'subject to planning' basis'.

Jemima Upton, a senior surveyor in Savills south central development team, said: "The Daffodil is an attractive and prominent building, with a number of character features indicative of the art deco era. Its sale represents a rare opportunity to give a renowned building a new lease of life, through sensitive conversion and/or redevelopment.

"Given its location, close to the town centre in the affluent and highly sought-after Montpelier, we believe the property could be particularly well-suited to a residential conversion."

Savills is seeking unconditional or subject to planning offers by midday on Wednesday, June 5, 2024.