A former post office could be turned into new homes.

An application has been submitted to Southend Council to turn the former sub post office and sorting office in George Street, Shoebury into five new town houses.

The terrace of three-storey houses will have garages and private roof gardens to take advantage of views of the nearby Shoebury East Beach.

Royal Mail vacated the sorting office in 2015 leaving the adjacent post office to carry on until April 2016.

Attempts to find an alternative use of the building came to nothing. The application on behalf of developers Garrison Beach Ltd, said “commercial viability of the site is limited given the predominantly residential locations”.

It adds the property “does not suit modern day commercial purposes.”

The single-storey old post office was said to have no significant architectural heritage.

A previous application to turn the site into nine flats was approved but didn’t go ahead.

A mix of three and four-storey blocks surround the site just metres from the beach and extensive green area.

The applicants said: “The proposal seeks to address the street scene. The surrounding area is very mixed, containing a variety of low rise, modern flats and family housing.

“The building line has been taken from the adjoining properties to the north and south.

“The proposal seeks to have a two-storey facade to reflect the housing opposite, with a third floor set back from the building.”

Sharon Walters, who had been at the George Street office for 26 years – ten as post mistress – retired after expiry of the lease on the building.

It was feared the office could be lost for good.

However, Anjana and Harish Panchal, owners of Station News, in the nearby High Street, for 23 years, become the new post masters.

Mr and Mrs Panchal invested in building an extension to their shop with a new office and storage space to create a modern, main-style branch with extended opening hours.

They then underwent an extensive period of training before taking over as post masters.

The new branch is open seven days a week for 98 hours and 30 minutes – some 52 hours more than the old office.