Plans have been submitted which show how a Northumberland village restaurant plans to create a Victorian-style market square with food, drink and stalls for local businesses.
Rialto already has licensing in place for The Orchard, a large outdoor expansion for the Italian eatery in Ponteland, which will have space for around 350 people.
Now plans have been lodged at Northumberland County Council which show how it plans to create the development on an unused plot of land that currently acts as an overspill car park for properties on Main Road.
Read more : More new images show how Ponteland social space The Orchard would look
The company has submitted 21 documents, detailing plans for everything from lighting, handrails and the roof to seating plans, as well as CGIs by Collaborative design and GW Architectural to show how The Orchard would look.
A design and access statement outlines how it would be made up of market stalls, retail units and food vendors, spaced out over around 13,000sqft.
It says: “The total capacity the Orchard will accommodate 350 people, 276 seated guests on the ground floor and mezzanine level with a remainder of 74 visitors able to peruse the stalls and units.
“Within The Orchard, there is the opportunity to walk around the stalls which will include; a Servery, Florist, Artisan Bakery, Coffee Stall and three street food stands.
“A large canopy will shelter the area protecting the market square from weather as well as providing an acoustic barrier for nearby properties.
”There will be a large screen used for advertising situated above the retail stalls visible for guests on both the ground floor and the mezzanine level. The screen will not have any amplified noise coming directly from it, instead it will come through the PA system.”
Crafted from larch timber cladding, with double height shipping containers at either side of the site, the firm behind the plans says The Orchard will be “used as a social space with a range of facilities”, adding: “The space accommodates for all ages with a family area located through the Archway Garden Entrance. A tree will form a centrepiece for The Orchard with market stalls situated around.”
At the end of last year, the licensing team at Northumberland County Council spent a day-and-a-half hearing arguments for and against the application for the outdoor expansion.
Rialto had originally sought permission for live music and alcohol sales at the new outdoor area until midnight, seven days a week, but after the scheme drew more than 100 complaints from members of the public the application was amended, dropping the request for permission to stage live music and agreeing to limit capacity in the outdoor area to 350.
