Coventry’s Spon Street could set for an influx of new restaurants and bars according to one of the city’s leading architects.

Rod Gow of Rod Gow Design Services has already drawn up plans for a new restaurant in the street and believes that it may be the start of a trend.

He said:

"I have worked on an application for Mr Reza Yousefian which would see the old Super-fi music store on Spon Street converted into a modern restaurant.

"They are quite complicated plans and the building is also listed so that obviously means you have to be very careful with what you can do with regard to altering the layout of the building.

"There will not be a great deal done to this building if the council approve the application as the owner wants to keep it pretty much the way it is, we will just be removing some cladding and things like that.

"The new SkyDome Coventry development which is being built at the top of Spon Street is going to start attracting business because there is going to be thousands of people wandering around."

The proposed new restaurant would serve only vegetarian cuisine, and seat between 30 and 40 people.

Gow believes that the planning application to the council will be successful. He said:

"The council is very keen to work with us on this and they are quite excited about the thought of this restaurant.

"It is a council owned building so along with planning permission we also need to come to an agreement with the lease situation."

Coventry City Council planning officer Michael Robson revealed that the application was of a variety that would not have to go through committee.

He said:

"We have received no objections to the application and we have to leave it at least 21 days until the consultation period runs out on the 4 October.

"If there are still no objections then, it is likely that it will be dealt with by councillors given delegated responsibility. I expect a decision by Christmas."

And the rising profile of Spon Street was outlined by SkyDome’s Trevor Ellard who is general manager of the complex.

He said:

"We estimate that the weekly footfall will be in the region of 25,000 which will mean a large increase of people using the Spon Street area of the city. The local shops, pubs, and restaurants will profit greatly from that increased custom."