PLANS to turn a city centre building into a restaurant have been approved by Bradford Council.

In recent year Belfry House, in Bradford’s West End area, has been a bar and, most recently an outreach centre for the Life Church.

Earlier this year a planning application to convert the building into a restaurant was submitted by Bradford based Overland Developments.

There will be seating over two floors, two bars and a patio terrace.

Planning officers at the Council have now approved the scheme - which is in the Little Horton Conservation Area.

‘Restaurant’ refused after planners' suspicions it would in fact be a take away

Officers said: “The proposal is considered acceptable as it would provide employment in an otherwise vacant unit. The surrounding area is largely commercial in nature, with restaurants and drinking establishments within the immediate vicinity with similar opening hours as the proposed development.”

The change of use of the building would create 999 square metres of restaurant space just a short distance from The Alhambra Theatre and the under construction Bradford Live development.

The application says the plans would create six full time and 14 part-time jobs, and the business would open from 5pm to midnight on Monday to Friday, noon to midnight on Saturday and Sunday.