A NEW pizzeria is set to open in Winchester after planning chiefs granted permission to convert an empty building in Stockbridge Road.

The restaurant and takeaway will be the area's first formal seated eatery and will create several new jobs.

But St Paul ward councillor Lucille Thompson said that drive-in collections could cause traffic problems on nearby junctions, while smells and noise from an outdoor seating area would disturb residents at night.

Applicant Andrew Smith said: “This is not a restaurant aimed at a rowdy clientele. We're not looking to the after-pub market at all.”

The pizzeria will serve upmarket Italian dishes.