A prominent empty shop in Gloucester city centre is preparing to step into a new era.

Clarks shoes closed its branch at 9-11 Eastgate Street earlier this year- to the dismay of loyal customers.

It was part of a string of branches shut by the retailer, which also included its Stroud shop.

The property, which sits next to Waterstones and Boots Opticians, has remained empty since then.

Howden Insurance has now applied to put up its signs on the building and if approved it will secure a new use of the unit. The team will move from its current spot on Eastgate Street.

Howden Insurance offers broker services for everything from home insurance to commercial cover with a range of mainstream and niche insurers.

It is only a few months since the Eastgate Street unit had new signs installed. It was previously known as A-Plan Insurance but rebranded over the summer  after being bought out by Howden Insurance in a £600m deal.

Bosses said at the time that staffing and services at the shop would remain the same.

The deal created one of the UK's largest insurance brokers managing over £4 billion of gross written premium for 1.5 million clients from 100 branch offices.

The application for the signs was submitted to Gloucester City Council last Monday (Sept 23).

It proposes two internally illuminated signs for the property. A metal wood effect fascia sign with black letter would be placed on the front of the shop and a similar hanging sign on the end of the building near Waterstones.

Anthony Eustace, branch manager at Howden Gloucester, said: "Across Howden, we take a no-limits approach to caring for our clients. Whether that's the little things, from enjoying a cup of tea in branch while we sort your cover, to stepping up when disaster strikes.

"Our move to new premises not only signals that we're here to stay, investing in the local high street while other national businesses move towards an online-only model, but that we're making our branch even more accessible for the local community, with a new look and more comfortable feel.

"We understand that our clients like knowing that we're there when they need us, however they need us. We believe in real human connections and local personalised service, rather than being on comparison websites, to help you get the right advice when it comes to covering the things that mean the most to you."

The council is expected to make a decision on the signage by November 22.