Winchester planning: The Black Bottle to become Polizia Pizza

Polizia Pizza has submitted a planning application to move into 4 Bridge Street, the current home of The Black Bottle.

The unique-concept wine bar, which sells wine from self-serve dispensers, is part of the same chain as The Black Boy pub and The Black Hole B&B. 

The Black Rat restaurant closed in September last year.

Currently, Polizia serves pizza at The Black Boy on Tuesday and Thursday evenings.

The application for the Grade II listed building, in Bridge Street, has been submitted to Winchester City Council for a change of use. 

The building has previously been used as the Ruperts drug treatment centre before it was turned into The Black Bottle. For many years until the early 1990s it was W Taylor greengrocers.

READ MORE: The Black Rat in Winchester holds final service ahead of closure as energy prices soar

On the application's planning statement, it said: “The existing building has consent for use as a drinking establishment, the old use class A4 (now classified as ‘Sui Generis’). The proposed use applied for this application is for a pizzeria.

“This simple change of use proposal for a listed building will reduce the likelihood of any potential disturbance to neighbours and provide a suitable new use for the building and its upkeep.

“The proposed alterations and reordering will make a positive contribution to the quality of facilities within the property without compromising or detracting from the character and appearance of the listed building.

"The amendments proposed under this scheme will not have any further impact to the heritage assets by comparison with the previously consented scheme.”

No comments in support or objection have been submitted to the city council.

To view more details of the application online, search 23/00568/FUL on Winchester City Council's planning portal.

Black Bottle owner David Nicholson was unavailable for comment.