HSBC Bank has confirmed it will be putting the lease on its Wantage building up for sale when it moves out in June.

The two-storey 19th century building in Market Place, which was once Wantage Town Hall, could now become another bank, building society, solicitors' firm or a shop.

It could even become a restaurant or bar, but only if the district council granted a change in planning permission.

The bank does not own the building, but still holds a lease which is understood to run for another two years.

Robin Heath, commercial negotiator for Wantage estate agents Green & Co, negotiated the sale of the building's freehold last year to a "private individual" who owns other properties in Wantage.

He said the HSBC building, while attractive in itself, did not have the glazed frontage that might make it a serious interest to a shop or restaurant.

He said: "By established use, it falls under A2 use class – financial services – so without a change of planning permission it could be a bank or building society, an estate agents or a lawyers' office.

"It could also go to A1 shops use without new planning permission but if they wanted to run it as restaurant or bar they would need a change in planning consent.

"That is difficult but possible, as we saw with the Wildwood Kitchen restaurant in the Market Place.

"It is a very attractive building but doesn't have glazed frontage for a retail leaseholder to work with."

Mr Heath also said the size of the building would make it unlikely to be attractive to a major national retail chain.

HSBC announced in March that it would be closing the branch, saying that increases in online and telephone banking meant use of the outlet had fallen "significantly".

The company will close in Wantage on June 17, leaving the nearest branch in Didcot, eight miles away.

Mr Heath said while HSBC still held the lease on the building, it could theoretically sub-let it, but said it could also work with the building owner to find a new leaseholder.

After a turnaround in Wantage's town centre economy in recent years, the bank building will be one of a very few empty units.

Mr Heath said: "At the moment there are hardly any shops available for the town – Wantage is actually thriving at the moment, so someone will take it.

"Two or three years ago there were 20-odd shops available, but the Wantage Town Team (employed by Vale of White Horse District Council to promote the town's retail offering) have improved things greatly."

Asked what he thought the town centre could most benefit from, Mr Heath said Wantage was "desperately lacking" a shoe shop.