Plans unveiled for fire-damaged restaurant

Plans to renovate a fire-damaged restaurant have been submitted to a council.

The roof and first floor of the Toby Carvery in Bishopstoke, Hampshire, caught fire in December 2024.

The venue has been shut ever since, but now plans submitted to Eastleigh Borough Council are proposing renovating and reopening the venue.

The application said the aim was to "reinstate the venue as a vibrant destination, assisting in rewelcoming past patrons and attracting new patrons".

The plans include the installation of new cladding, warm white floodlights, and rope lighting at the front of the building, as well as festoon lights, timber posts and a walk-in freezer unit.

The festoon lighting would enhance the property's "kerb appeal" as well as being practical, the application said.

The new external lighting and rope lighting would "allow for both security and patron illumination".

The proposal said the plans had been "designed to preserve and respect the existing fabric" of the building, while also "providing much needed updates".

The application said the fire damage to the roof would be repaired, but because that would be done "like for like", it was "unrelated to this proposal".

You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.