A FORMER restaurant in Weymouth town centre which was praised for its 'beautiful food' could be transformed into flats, under new plans.
Tuga Bar, based on Maiden Street, was a Portuguese restaurant which offered a selection of Portuguese dishes using fresh and simple ingredients.
But despite its popularity, Tuga Bar permanently shut its doors in the last 12 months and deleted its Facebook page.
Now a planning application has been submitted to Dorset Council to convert the former restaurant and owner’s flat into three separate one-bedroom flats.
In previous years, the Maiden Street property has been occupied by a number of other much-loved specialist restaurants, including Restaurant 43, Piccola and Rossini.
The new plans state the Maiden Street building and restaurant have 'become redundant' and argue that transforming the property into flats would represent a 'logical' use of a closed business.
An application states: “The proposed external alterations will incorporate materials to match the host property thereby forming an integrated conversion that will be in keeping with minimal impact on the locality.
“The removal of the existing restaurant signage and awnings will further enhance the property and will enhance the area.
“The proposed will preserve the character of the building and will have no detrimental impact upon the locality and will represent a logical and efficient use of the redundant building.”
A number of changes would be made to the property, including removing the restaurant’s signage, replace existing ground floor windows and remove the central window and block the vacant space.
Its first-floor windows would be upgraded to double glazed windows while a ventilation duct, flues and air conditioning units at the rear of the building will be removed.
The application states the property is in a good area, with access to bus services, train station, shops other services nearby. It adds given the need for housing in the area, the application should be approved by Dorset Council.
Comments on the application are invited via the Dorset Council website. Search for application number WP/20/00630/FUL.
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