A RESTAURANT chain run by TV chef Jamie Oliver has set its sights on moving into the centre of York.

Jamie’s Italian Limited is looking to open a branch of its business above the Lendal Cellars pub after proposals to convert empty sections of the site, next to the Guildhall and the city’s main post office, were unveiled.

The company has applied to City of York Council for a licence to operate the restaurant, while the authority is also expected to make a decision on a planning application submitted by Greene King, which runs the pub, for the scheme next month.

If permission is secured, the Jamie’s Italian restaurant could open next year, with the plans focusing on first-floor sections of the building which have been unused for several years.

“This scheme is fantastic news for York and will bring much-needed regeneration to the building and the surrounding area,” said a spokeswoman for Greene King.

“In addition to bringing Jamie’s Italian to the city, which will complement our pub offer, it gives us the opportunity to invest in the Lendal Cellars and to improve facilities such as the toilets and the garden for our customers.”

Jamie’s Italian currently has 18 restaurants across the UK, with its only other Yorkshire operation being in Leeds. The company also has restaurants in Dubai and Sydney and plans to open four new London outlets this summer, as well as branches in Cheltenham and Milton Keynes.

Greene King’s planning statement said the sections of the site off St Helen’s Square which are earmarked for the project are believed to have been previously used as a solicitors’ office and a Berni Inn restaurant.

It also said the design would retain “important historical features” of the building and will include new entrances and an extension between the pub’s bar area and beer garden. Some of the site’s walls would be removed to open up a “large open restaurant space”.