A THAI restaurant could be expanding with a new coffee bar and café if plans are backed by councillors.

Thai Gallery, which is based in Friar Street, has submitted a plan to Worcester City Council looking to take over a vacant building previously used by Interior Furnishers a couple of doors away.

The popular Thai restaurant would open the new cafe in the grade II-listed building - which has been empty since August last year - and also use it as an overflow restaurant in the evenings for guests to Thai Gallery which is also in Friar Street.

The design of the new café and restaurant is expected to be similar to its sister restaurant Thai Gallery.

A report, to be discussed by the city council’s planning committee at a meeting next Thursday, said the restaurant had asked for permission to stay open until 11pm during the week and 1am on Friday and Saturday.

However, the council’s planners told the Thai restaurant those hours would be reduced to 10am to 10pm on all days to accommodate noise concerns by neighbours.

A resident of Laslett’s Almshouses in Union Street strongly objected to the plan fearing another late-night café and restaurant would create more noise on the busy city street.

The objection said: “The noise generated by Heroes bar continues long past their official closing time, and this cafe will only add to that.

“11pm is quite late enough for a sandwich bar, unless there is an ulterior motive.”

It would be the second restaurant expansion in Friar Street in only a matter of months after a plan to extend Singapore Restaurant was backed by planners in March.

Worcester City Council’s planning committee will meet at 1.30pm in the Guildhall on April 18 to make a decision.