PLANNERS have refused an attempt to turn to an empty Glasgow city centre shop into a restaurant.

A change-of-use application was made for former florist premises at 80 West Nile Street, which had been lined up for the first Dr Noodles outlet in the city.

Council officials rejected the plan because a full height flue to disperse cooking smells cannot be provided. They said this would give rise to “the potential for odour nuisance” affecting the properties immediately above.

A report by planners stated that, despite Dr Noodles being able to use an alternative method to deal with extraction of odours because they do not use oil for cooking, permission could still not be granted.

The report explained: “There would be nothing to prevent different cooking methods being undertaken within the premises at a later date, or another operator taking over and cooking different foods.”