A NEW rotunda-shaped restaurant and pizzeria based on Weston’s seafront has been given the go-ahead.

A 125-year lease for the ‘upmarket’ eatery on the site of the current tourist information centre was approved at a North Somerset Council executive committee meeting yesterday (Tues).

After a brief discussion members agreed to grant the application to the preferred joint bidders Alistair Mead of Puxton Park and Mead Group, and Giulio Ellis, who owns Giulio’s fish and chip shop in Worle and women’s fashion store Ellis in Weston’s Waterloo Street.

The duo will create a new company called The Square Pizza Ltd and their proposal is to develop and operate a two-storey building, offering a restaurant on the upper floor along with an ice cream parlour on the ground floor.

Leader of North Somerset Council, Councillor Nigel Ashton, said: “This will be an upmarket restaurant in a prime seafront location and is yet another excellent news story for Weston.

“The town is vibrant and will be even more so with further projects coming to fruition and others in the pipeline.”

This deal is subject to a one-off premium of �25,000 and annual ground rent of �5,000.

The Beach Road building, which will be designed by Grand Pier architects Angus Meek, will create jobs for up to 40 people at peak times and will also include a visitor information point.

The proposal is to run the facility on a seven-day, year-round basis, offering a quality, seasonally-based menu and the developer is hoping to complete the work in time to open for summer next year.

The Weston businessmen beat off rival bids from five other competitors, including national chains.