A former bakery on a Norwich shopping estate could be turned into a café.

A bid has been approved to change the use of 185 Drayton Road from retail to café or restaurant.

The unit, which was most recently Draytona Bakery, is bordered by Drayton Stores and another empty unit, and is on the western side of the Drayton Road district retail centre.

The plans, which were submitted by and to Norwich City Council, were approved on November 14.

In planning papers, the council said two new toilets and a store room would be created inside, while glazing at the front of the building would be replaced and doors would be blocked up at the rear.

And while they said in one document that "there is not a tenant in place to operate the proposed restaurant" currently, in another they said "another potential tenant is interested in taking on the lease but wishes to use the area as a restaurant/café".

The application triggered four letters of response, with one in favour of the scheme and three against.

The one in support said there had been parking issues in the area for 20 years, and added: "A new café is not going to make a huge amount of difference as I would expect it to have more of an appeal to foot traffic.

"I would much prefer to see any business in this space, keeping the community alive, bringing in business, than an empty shell of a shop."

Those objecting pointed largely to parking issues, though one person said the nature of a restaurant and its opening hours would cause disturbance through both noise and smell.

And another person said: "As a neighbour to this property there is usually enough parking to park near my property with the quick pop in and out type of businesses we have now, people park and are often gone in minutes." But the application was approved by its planning committee on November 14, and in a report recommending it be approved, a council officer said they believed the change of use would "contribute positively to the vitality and viability" of the area.

"The proposed change of use is not considered likely to result in harm being caused to neighbouring residential occupiers by way of noise or odour," they said.