YET another restaurant has been approved for York city centre, something not to the taste of all.

Coming up on the menu is Indian street food and craft beer in the former Argos and William Hill betting office in Piccadilly.

Bundobust, which has venues in Leeds, Liverpool and Manchester, already has a premises license to sell alcohol from City of York Council.

A report by council planning staff noted the application sought to merge units 11 and 13A Piccadilly, which is in the Central Historic Core conservation area.

The council received two comments about the application. One comment believed there was a lack of detail on waste disposal.

Another said York does not need another restaurant in an area where there are plenty.

Instead, York had no bicycle report or workshop facilities in the central town pedestrian zone area, the said.

It was also claimed the nearby GDK (German Doner Kebab) restaurant was also leading to vehicles parking outside on double yellow lines while food orders are prepared and collected, in an area taken up by buses and bikes.

However, council planning staff noted a lack of retail frontage in Piccadilly, with just Primark and Sainsbury’s having major frontage.

They said: “Given the need to boost the economy, it is considered that weight should be attached to the potential to introduce a commercial activity into a unit that is currently vacant.

“In this respect, although the retail frontage in the street would be reduced, it is considered that the proposal would be beneficial to the vitality and viability of the street and the city centre as a whole.”

Approving the Bundobust would also allow the city centre to grow and diversify “in a way that responds to rapid changes in the retail and leisure industries.”

And by generating footfall, they also said:“In this way it is considered it would actually have a positive impact on the commercial activity of remaining retail units in the street rather than undermine them.”

The planners also said they had to assess applications on their merits, rather than try and find a balance between restaurant numbers and cycle facilities in the city centre.

They continued: “Vehicle parking on Piccadilly is restricted by traffic regulation, any vehicles parking outside the premises to obtain take away food would be in breach of those regulations.

“It is not considered that the proposals would have an adverse impact on the movement of buses and cyclists.”

Recommending approval, the report concluded the application met local and national planning policies.

It added: “The proposals will preserve the character and appearance of the conservation area and it is not considered that there would be any adverse impact on neighbours.”

The Press has today sought comment from Bundobust.