COUNCIL planners have given the thumbs-up for new flats to be built above a well-known Indian restaurant near Newport city centre.
Planning permission has been granted for eight flats, of mixed sizes, above the Vanilla Spice restaurant next to Harlequin roundabout.
Formerly known as the Old Rising Sun pub, the site was vacant for several years before the restaurant opened there a decade ago.
The new plans show Vanilla Spice will be unaffected by the proposal to open flats in the building’s two upper floors.
Newport City Council had originally rejected an application for flats back in 2020 because of concerns including flooding, noise, and the location of a restaurant chimney flue to the proposed accommodation.
Those issues have been cleared up this time around, however, thanks to extra paperwork filed alongside what is essentially a “resubmission” of the 2020 designs.
Applicant Mr N Ali has secured planning permission to build two two-bedroom flats and two studio flats on the first floor – which in a separate area also contains the toilets for Vanilla Spice customers.
The second floor will contain two more studio flats, a one-bedroom flat, and another two-bedroom flat.
The accommodation will look out onto Lyne Road or the A4042, according to plans for the building.
The council approved the plans subject to several conditions, and will also seek financial contributions from the applicant towards Newport’s affordable housing and for improvements to play equipment in the nearby Shaftesbury Park.
