Plans for demolition of Kitchen Nightmares restaurant approved

La Gondola went into liquidation in 2009

Plans over the demolition of a restaurant that featured on TV show Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares have been approved.

Developers wanted to demolish La Gondola in Derby and build two blocks of flats in its place - but found themselves in a planning battle with Derby City Council.

Councillors originally refused the plans for the flats in January 2023.

The developers have now been successful with their appeal.

La Gondola, in Osmaston Road, had been a popular spot in the 1970s and 80s - but even an appearance on celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares TV show failed to stop its decline.

The building has been empty since 2009 and has been a target for anti-social behaviour.

Original refusal for the plans was made over fears that there would be insufficient parking spaces, resulting in surrounding areas being filled with cars, as well as concerns over whether the proposal would provide sufficient cycle and bin storage.

The council also turned down similar plans for the same site in 2022.

Councillors were worried there would not be enough parking spaces for the proposed 42 flats

The appeal, from Elgie Properties, disputed the councillors' fears in front of the Planning Inspectorate.

It stated: "The proposal would provide 21 on-site parking spaces, which equates to 50% provision for the 42 proposed apartments, which would be sufficient for the development."

Developers acknowledged nearby streets surrounding the proposal site were narrow and mainly consisted of terraced housing, but were also mindful that the highway authority did not object to the proposal.

The inspectorate said in its report: "No tangible evidence has been provided to articulate any existing parking issue in nearby streets, or to clearly demonstrate any potential harm that could arise if the development were to go ahead."

A date on when the demolition work will get under way has not been stated.