PLANS to turn a former Liberal Club into a restaurant and shop have been approved.

The Chapel Green Liberal Club on Thornton Lane, Little Horton, once had around 1,600 people on its books, and regularly hosted local Billiards tournaments and competitions.

Late last year a planning application to change the use of the club into a retail unit and restaurant were submitted by Shazad Bashir Talib. The main part of the building, used as the games room, would be a restaurant, with the smaller side building, used as function space, becoming a shop.

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The plans have now been approved by Bradford Council.

One person had objected, raising concerns about parking, but officers pointed out that the building was on a bus route, and there was on street parking nearby.

They added: "The existing use pre-dates the town planning system and its operation is not regulated through current legislation such that it could open 24-hours per day and whilst the site is within close proximity to residential dwellings, given this background the retail unit is not deemed to cause significant harm to residential amenity.

"Similarly, the restaurant is not deemed to cause increased harm in terms of residential amenity."

One condition of the approval is that the restaurant would have to shut at 11pm.