Restaurant bosses hoping to add a new floor at the former Zizzi in Royal Exchange Square have been turned down by council planners.
Viva Italia, which owns Tony Macaroni and Mozza, plans to offer another Italian restaurant in the building and took over after Zizzi failed to reopen following the pandemic.
But the firm's bid to create a new mezzanine floor in the A-listed ex-Royal Bank of Scotland building was rejected due to the “detrimental impact” on the historic property.
READ MORE: Glaschu bosses to open new steak and seafood restaurant Gōst in city centre
Its application claimed the additional mezzanine area would offer 24 extra seats over the existing cooking area.
But planners ruled the development would “inappropriately compromise the historic plan form of the property and the proportions and features of the room”.
“The proposals would therefore have a detrimental impact on the architectural character and special interest of this category ‘A’ listed building,” the decision added.
Since taking over the building, the arrival of ‘Banca di Roma’ has been teased on social media but no opening date has been revealed.
The council issued the decision to reject the listed building application on Friday, with planners also ruling proposed “hardwood balustrades and bannisters” on the mezzanine would be “in conflict with the existing glazed and stainless steel balustrades” on the current mezzanine areas.
They believed the proposal would be an “inappropriate addition” to the building and a new bar area would “inappropriately cut across window openings”.
Under the proposal, Viva Italia had hoped to create extra space for customers by capping the kitchen and server area with the new mezzanine floor.
Plans submitted on behalf of the firm stated: “Our client has now taken over what was originally Zizzi at 31 Royal Exchange Square to reopen as an Italian restaurant and they would like to make an alteration.
“I’m aware this building is a category A-listed property and therefore restricted in possible works, however the available history of the building, along with existing drawing information, shows there has been substantial alteration work carried out within the building in the 1960s while still in bank use.”
They added major internal structural alterations were carried out around 1998 to form a retail unit and in 2011 to “subdivide into one retail unit and one restaurant.”
“I don’t believe anything proposed by our client is detrimental to the existing building and has, in our opinion, no effect on the building’s listed status where the original interiors other than the upper decorative ceiling no longer remain and have been replaced through the years of refurbishment with interior and finishes suitable for the various new uses.”
