A restaurant that closed after 25 years in business is set to become holiday apartments.
The Go Down Restaurant in Clifford Street closed just before Christmas last year.
A planning application has now been submitted to turn the former basement restaurant into three holiday flats.
The ground, first and second floors of the building are already being converted into apartments – some of them holiday lets – and a planning statement says the applicant would prefer not to have a new restaurant open on a floor below flats.
It says: “The applicant established Goodramgate Apartments approximately 15 years ago, with this providing short term affordable accommodation, principally for tourists.
“The average room rate fluctuates between £102 and £130 per night dependent upon season, demand and day of the week and presently occupancy rates are between 85% to 90%, showing a high demand for this accommodation.
“The applicant employs 15 full and part time members of staff to run the apartments.”
Empty for six months
If the planning application is approved, three more jobs would be created.
The site has been empty since the restaurant closed six months ago, according to the application.
It was run by Penelope and Peter Taylor and an answerphone message on the booking line thanked customers for their loyalty during the past 25 years. The family-run eatery opened in 1995.
The application is for the basement to be turned into two two-bedroom flats and a one-bedroom apartment.
It concludes: “The conversion of the basement into three holiday let units will help to attract tourists to the area, boosting the local economy and employment opportunities.
“No external alterations are proposed as part of this development and therefore the proposal is not considered to impact the conservation area.”
Secondary glazing would be installed on the windows to make the flats quieter – as a report found Kuda nightclub across the road from the building was noisy.