Turkish restaurant is set to open in Portsmouth's North End

Ali Mese has applied to Portsmouth City Council for permission to change the use of the former Coral unit in London Road and for the installation of a new extraction system to clear the way for the restaurant.

‘The intention of the vacant retail unit is to be turned into a high quality Turkish restaurant, promoting traditional Turkish cuisine,’ his application says. ‘Welcoming an alternative food culture into the area will give local residents and tourists a new option to dine at.’

Submitted earlier this week, the application also includes proposals to alter the front of the building, which before being taken over by Coral in 2016, was a branch of McDonald’s, to facilitate the change of use.

Some residents were unhappy six years ago when Coral opened, as it was the fourth bookmakers on that stretch of the shopping street. In 2015 and 2016 several measures were brought into North End – such as free parking – to try to encourage more shoppers.

Under the plans, the ground floor will have customer seating, a kitchen, a bar and toilets while the upper floor of the building, which is designated as office space but has been empty ‘for some time’, would house food storage, dish washing and preparation areas as well as a staff room.

‘The Turkish cuisine has a good option for both vegetarians and meat lovers. Therefore, providing Turkish food in the area will address all consumer types and will bring the breeze of the Mediterranean culture into the area,’ Mr Mese’s statement adds.

‘Turkish food is already a well-known food culture in the UK and there is a community of people who enjoy and are willing to experience the Turkish food often. As a result, this proposal will bring a great lift up into the area.’

The application proposes opening hours of 9am to 11pm and the council has set itself a deadline of Thursday, October 13 for reaching a decision on whether to grant planning permission.