A POPULAR Clitheroe restaurant could be transformed into a pub if plans for a change of use are given the go-ahead.

Bosses at Piccolino’s Restaurant have submitted an application to planning chiefs at Ribble Valley Borough Council to change the use of the town centre eatery to a pub, which will also serve food.

The building would also be extended.

The restaurant, in Moor Lane, which is in a prominent position at the start of the retail area in the town, was built in 1839 as a junior school and is known as the National Buildings.

Proposals include building a single-storey extension to the rear of the Grade II-listed building which backs onto the grounds of Clitheroe Castle.

There would also be a new external cooled bottle store, and there are plans for a bar servery area on the first floor, with alterations to entrances, and extra female toilets.

A report to the planning committee says: “The front elevation is the most important as it sits prominently onto Moor Lane.

“This will be retained as existing and only the rear elevation, which is barely visible from the road, will be slightly altered due to the current proposal.

“We believe that this current new proposal has been carefully considered and the conclusions reached demonstrate how the building’s character can be retained and not damaged by the alterations.”

The application has been submitted by Dream Capital Partnership on behalf of The Individual Restaurant Company – the owners of the restaurant chain.

The move comes after celebrity chef Paul Heathcote recently closed his Clitheroe restaurant after it became a ‘continuous drain’.

Heathcotes Grill and Bar, in the Ribble Valley town, was closed just nine months after the venue was relaunched.

The businessman blamed the tough economic climate and the competition in the market town, for the closure.

The Piccolino’s application will be considered at a future meeting of the planning committee.