Change on the horizon for Chichester's former No 1 restaurant

The restaurant and bar in Northgate closed down in April 2018 and has remained empty since then.

Building work has been seen through the building's window recently and a planning application has been approved for the change of use of the building.

The plans are for a flexible mixed use of the basement and ground floor of the building including a restaurant, a bar, and professional and financial services. It is not clear what the building will be used for.

The economic development service at Chichester District Council had no objections to the application and said: "From an Economic Development perspective, a change use to an alternative high street use is preferable to an empty vacant site.

"The High Street is changing dramatically. The August 2019 ONS bulletin on retail states that online sales as a proportion of all retailing was 19.7 per cent.

"It is further evidence that retail is increasingly becoming more of a web based operation, with less emphasis on a High Street presence. Planning policy struggles to keep up with this and the protection of commercial space in town and city centres is coming under increasing pressure."

Find out more about the plans here: 19/02890/FUL