As reported in Breaking news (6.11.12), plans are afoot to modify L'Epicerie (downstairs from L'Escargot Bleu) at 56/56a Broughton Street (Ref. 12/04352/FUL).
Following advice from officials, the earlier application for a certificate of lawfulness has now been withdrawn, and instead change of use consent is sought for the basement premises to include a café/bistro as well as a delicatessen
Plans for the rebranding become clear in a supporting statement:
'The proposal is to retain the restaurant and a delicatessen facility but to create a charming and welcoming specialist licensed café bistro with ancillary delicatessen.
'The overall concept of the restaurant and the café bistro/delicatessen would retain the traditional French restaurant formal dining on the upper floor, with an informal café bistro facility on the lower ground floor. The specialities on offer would be pickles, pies, preserves and Port. The proposed name of the lower ground floor is Pickles, and the branding is Purveyors of prestigious pickles, pies, preserves and Port.
'They would provide hot and cold drinks, wines, spirits, bottled beers and light snacks as is expected in café bistro type operation. There will be a small cheese selection and a range of merchandising consisting of artworks, cards and gifts.'
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Very few other locally relevant planning applications caught the eye this week, although readers may be interested to view the listed building consent application for 10, 11, 12, 13–14 Princes Street and 16 West Register Street (Ref. 12/04359/LBC).
The proposed elevations strike Spurtle as an improvement.