Plans for a pizza restaurant, takeaway and 'flagship' dough factory have been squashed by council bosses.

Pizza chain NY Slice has been refused permission to redevelop an empty Merchant City shop due to the odours it might produce.

The company previously applied for permission to turn the unit at 141 Ingram Street, on the corner with Brunswick Street, into its business headquarters and training facility.

But the development was rejected by planning bosses who said the lack of a full height flue to disperse cooking smells could lead to a potential "odour nuisance" for residents in the flats above.

In a design statement, the company stated: " The Dough Factory and meat prep portion of the unit will be separated from the rest using floor to ceiling factory style windows allowing each guest to be immersed in the NY Slice dough manufacturing

experience at all times.

"The unit will also comprise of head office premises and a NY Slice Joint and brand retail unit. These flagship premises will become the brand and identity standard for all new NY Slice joints and franchises which are opening and will therefore be fit out to an exceptionally high standard."

In their response council planners said: "“Unusually given the scale of the premises, with 70-plus covers and the associated level of cooking involved, the proposals do not include a dedicated flue for the dispersal of treated cooking odour, instead, proposing additional forms of filtration and internal dispersal of treated odour.

“In the absence of a full height flue, Environmental Health have objected to the proposals on the basis that the premise will operate a restaurant and hot food takeaway use (in addition to the other constituent uses) with potential for odour nuisance to affect the residential properties above.

“With this in mind, it is of note that planning permission was previously refused for café proposals without a flue at 80 Hutcheson Street.”

It is not known whether NY Slice will appeal the decision.